Serenity's Little Imp
by tenamorette
Summary: Another Firefly stowaway story. Fairly true to the story, however there is an additional character. Evie is a 10 year old girl who escapes her abusive father by hiding on the Firefly. Can Mal and the crew take care of the spirited little girl who happens to be the daughter of one of their enemies? Warning: Spanking of a minor in some chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**After stalking for a while now, I finally decided to write my own! Obviously a Firefly tribute. I've added a new character- ****Evie****- a girl about 10 years old who is escaping from a pretty tough situation. I follow a lot of the same dialogue to try to stay true to the story, but have occasional deviances. Haven't decided if I'm going to include all of Simon and River's subplot just because then Mal would have to be dealing with TWO instances of having to take on crew he never asked for and I'm not quite sure he has he patience for that.**

"Jayne, Kaylee, let's get these crates stowed. I don't want any tourists stumbling over them," Mal ordered, beginning to do so already.

Kaylee's face lit up. "We're taking on passengers at Persephone?" she asked excitedly.

Mal put the stolen cargo in the hidden compartment on the deck of the ship. "That's the notion. We could use a little respectability on the way to Boros. Not to mention the money."

Jayne scoffed. "Pain in the ass, if you ask me."

"No," Kaylee chastised, "it's shiny! I like to meet new people. They've all got stories... "

Jayne made a face. "Captain, can you please stop her from being cheerful?"

"I don't believe there is a power in the 'verse that can stop Kaylee from being cheerful," Mal chuckled.

"Sometimes you just wanna duct tape her mouth and dump her in the hold for a month."

She grinned sweetly and plastered a kiss on his cheek. "I love my Captain!"

- The following day Zoe, Jayne and Mal went off to conduct some business with Badger and Kaylee was left to find passengers (Them's that can pay). She was so busy schmoozing with the Shepherd, the small figure that snuck in through the bay door behind her completely missed her attention.

Evie had been watching that little Firefly transport ship since it landed a few hours ago. It was perfectly suited to get her away from her miserable life. Lots of nooks and crannies for her to hide and it seemed like they traveled constantly- the best way to lose those she knew would be on her tail. There was two scary men and one really scary lady that had exited the ship but as long as she stayed concealed she wouldn't have to worry about them. If they by chance found her hiding place, well...she was willing to do whatever necessary. She wasn't letting anyone mistreat her ever again.

She knew a lot about various types of ships- well enough for her age. Her father had had a few ships in his "fleet" and she grew up playing in them with some of the other kids. Her father was supposedly some big man on Persephone and the way other people were afraid of him told her that wasn't exactly an exaggeration. But after 10 years of living with him, she didn't think he was very "big". Big men didn't smack their kids around or lock them in a room without food and water for most of a day simply because she was sassy. And that's why she had to get away. The last time he busted up her lip simply because he was stressed out about the clients he had an appointment with and because she dared to try to swipe one his apples since she hadn't eaten since the day before. _No more,_ she vowed to herself. _I'd rather die than go back._

_-_ Mal was in a less than stellar mood when he came back on his ship. Badger had screwed him and they were at the bottom of their coffers. "We just gotta keep our heads down and do the job. Pray there ain't no more surprises," he reassured, trying to keep his cool for his crew and the new passengers that were loading onto the boat. Mal went to return the Alliance stamped goods to the hidden compartment, watching the passengers as they were unpacking some of their goods to make sure that they couldn't see.

Zoe came up behind him. "So now we got a boatload of citizens right on top of our stolen cargo. That's a fun mix," she stated sardonically.

"There's no way in the 'verse they could find that compartment, even if they were looking for it!" he maintained as he shoved the box inside without looking. His focus, luckily for Evie, was on Zoe and he didn't see the tiny body cowering in the corner as he stuffed the trunk inside.

"Why not?" asked Zoe, disbelievingly.

"'Cause," he answered simply.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Yeah, this is gonna go great..."

Mal closed the secret hatch. "If anybody gets nosy, you just, you know... shoot 'em," he said, heading up the stairs to the bridge.

"Shoot them?" Zoe asked.

"Politely," Mal ordered as he disappeared up the stairs.

Evie had been holding her breath and she released a soft sigh of relief that that crazy Captain hadn't found her. After hearing him order his First Mate to shoot somebody if they got in his way, she wondered if the Firefly was such a great decision after all.


	2. Chapter 2

It'd been a long day and after setting the new passengers straight on all the rules and enjoying a meal with them he retired to his room and used the facilities in the tiny space. Sighing, he washed his hands and then pressed the soothing cold water to his face. Suddenly the intercom beeped.

"Mal, you might wanna get up here..." Wash warned. Suppressing a curse, he climbed up the ladder as quickly as possible to the flight deck.

He looked at the screen Wash was studying. "What is it?" he asked.

"Signal," was answered. "Somebody went on the Cortex, hailed the nearest Alliance Cruiser."

Mal ran a hand through his hair, "Well, tell me you scrambled it?!"

"All to hell, but I don't know how much got through. Alliance got a pin on us for sure," Wash explained. Mal cursed in Chinese. "We got a mole on board," Wash said directly.

Mal's face hardened in a way that scared a small part of Wash and he was glad he wasn't that mole as Mal went tearing through the ship, trying to piece it together.

He heard Badger's last words echoing through his head when he rejected the cargo that he had picked. _"Try one of the border planets- they're a lot more desperate there. Of course, they might kill you. But if you stay here, I just know the Alliance'll track you down. I have that feeling."_ Badger had to have a mole on board. How he'd managed it, Mal had no clue. Now he wished he _had_ decked him during their meeting. Maybe one of his cronies would've simply shot him non-fatally.

- Evie didn't think about food in coming up with this brilliant escape plan. Dear old Dad hadn't even let her finish her apple and she hadn't had anything to eat all day. The ship was quiet as it was the latent hours of the evening. Her groaning stomach had her not thinking clearly. Finally, she decided to sneak into the galley. The justification being that, yes, she'd be taking a risk, but if she didn't, her stomach would be selling out her hiding space in no time flat.

Her hands were shaking due to low blood sugar and as she moved the panel, she hit it against one of the other panels and it made a "clang" sound. Evie held her breath and listened. It wasn't terribly loud. She silently prayed that everyone was either sleeping or busy or even thought it was just one of those noises that happen on ships.

But Malcolm Reynolds knew his ship, and as he was walking down the stairs to the cargo bay, the noise he heard was all too familiar. It was the sound of someone who was messing with that "stolen" cargo that Zoe was talking about earlier. Seeing red, he couldn't wait to get his hands on that thieving stool pigeon.

Evie heard Mal barreling down the stairs as she'd exited the hidden compartment. She scurried to hide behind one of the cargo trunks as she heard him approach. It was dark in the cargo bay and she hoped if she held her breath and squeezed her body as close as she could to the trunk that the crazy man who seemed a little too "gun happy" might not see her.

Mal's eyes were adjusting to the dark as he stealthily moved around the cargo hold with his gun drawn. He knew someone was there. He took stock of the passengers they had taken on. There was the doddering twit that constantly tripped and fell over things as he made his way about. The Shepherd. And the rich kid who said he was some sort of Doctor. He couldn't figure out who would be more likely to be the mole, seeing as none of them seemed to fit the bill.

He turned a corner and saw a small mass crouched behind a box. "Freeze, don't move!" he shouted, pointing his pistol at her. The noise brought Zoe and Jayne running. Someone had flicked on the lights and now he could plainly see a tiny body holding her hands protectively in front of their face. It was a child, Mal realized, in shock. However, he couldn't be too careful. "Stand up, slow, young 'un, and show me them little hands," he ordered.

Jayne had a gun leveled at her and Zoe had her shotgun. The child complied, pleading, "don't shoot, please." She didn't even have to turn around for him to realize that she was a little girl. When she turned around he saw that she had a pretty nasty bruise on the side of her forehead that nearly melded into a black eye and that her upper lip was split, obviously from a mericiless smack on her mouth. He slowly lowered his weapon and his crew did the same.

"Huh." Was his only remark.

The other passengers had heard the hullabaloo and began to come out to investigate the noise. Mal was staring at the terrified girl, still trying to compute what was happening. "What's your name, meimei?" he asked softly. A look of horror crossed her face.

"Dobson!" she shouted incredulously.

"Dobson. That's a weird name for a little girl," Jayne mused. She shook her head and everyone looked in the direction she was pointing. Mal and the crew raised their weapons immediately at the once bumbling idiot who first came on board now pointing a weapon in her direction, seemingly as surprised as she was.

"Evie?!" he asked. "What the hell are you doing here? Your father is going to have your hide!" he said keeping the gun leveled at both her and Mal.

"I could say the same for you!" she shouted back indignantly.

"Your father sent me, he warned these scavengers what would happen if they tangled with him, hold it!" he said, shifting his gaze to Mal as he moved in an aggressive step toward him. "An Alliance cruiser is on it's way and will be here within 20 minutes. Not only are you illegal scavengers, but now we can add kidnapping to the list. I would sit right there and be nice and complacent."

"Kidnapping?! I didn't even know this little scamp was on my boat until about 3 minutes ago!" said Mal indignantly.

"Seems to me that you've got 3 guns trained on you, boy, so I wouldn't be saying anything rash," warned the Shepherd soothingly.

"I can still take one of them with me," replied Dobson heatedly. "Evie, come on over here, as soon as the Alliance gets here, we're going back."

"No!" she shouted so loudly that it made all of the tense people in the room jump. "I'm never going back to _him_."

"Who in the hell is, "him" I'd like to know, and what in the hell did I do to piss _him_ off?" Mal demanded. Without realizing it, Evie began to move closer behind him and he'd begun taking on a more protective stance. Dobson laughed.

"Badger, of course! He was so pissed that you tried to pawn off government stamped goods on him he sent me here to call the Alliance and then jump on one of your shuttles. Now, you've got his kid! He's going to be more pissed off about that!"

Mal turned to the girl. "Badger... is your... father?!" he asked, surveying her battered face, knowing that he likely had something to do with it. The girl simply looked at her feet.

While Dobson had been talking, he hadn't heard Jayne sneak up behind him, his manic eyes focused on Mal and the girl. Jayne took his gun and hit him in the back of the head, knocking him out. Both Mal and the girl breathed a visible sigh of relief.

"Tie him up and make sure he stays that way," he ordered Jayne before whirling on the kid. The scared look danced in her eyes again and she began backing away from him. Mal sighed and holstered his gun. "Don't worry, little one, I ain't gonna hurt you. But it looks like someone did." He looked at Simon who was still staring wide eyed at the whole situation. "You're a doctor, ain't ya?" he asked. The man was still staring out into space. "HEY!" Mal shouted. Simon's eyes snapped away from the scene and toward him. "We've got a hurt kid. Do your job," he coaxed. "Kaylee will show you were the medical bay is."

He watched them exit and heard Wash's voice on the intercom. "Can somebody tell me what in God's name is going on down there?!" it crackled over the speaker. Mal picked up the receiver.

"Right now, all I need you to do is high tail us out of here. Alliance is on our tails so take something special out of that repitoire of yours and lose 'em."

Zoe appeared at his side. "What do we do now, Sir?" she asked.

Mal ran his hand over his face. Nothing ever goes according to plan. Nothing. "The job. We finish the job. I got word from Patience, she's waiting for us," he said affirmly.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Sir," Zoe protested.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"She shot you."

"Well, yeah, just a little bit..."

"So we find someone else," Zoe suggested.

Mal finally let this frustration take over. "Since when does my ship look like the rutting town hall?" he asked angrily. Zoe immediately fell into a submissive position. "Yes, Sir," she assented, climbing the stairs to join her husband in the cockpit.

Mal sat down on a box and heaved a sigh as he took stock of his situation. He had a hostage. Not just any hostage but one of Badger's men. He had a little kid. Not just any kid, but Badger's kid. And now he had to face down a woman who once shot him years ago in order to make the money he needed to keep his ship afloat.

"Something tells me this isn't going to get any easier," he said aloud.


	3. Chapter 3

Mal let Zoe fill Wash in on the the exciting events of the past few hours.

He walked to where Jayne had Dobson held bound to a chair. "I'm in a situation, I think you're aware. Got me a boatload of terribly strange folk making my life a little more interesting then I generally like. Now, I got to know how close the Alliance is, exactly how much you told them 'fore Wash scrambled your call. So I've given Jayne here the job of finding out."

Jayne pulled out a knife the size of his meaty arm. "He was nonspecific as to how," he mocked.

Mal leaned close to Jayne, "Now, you only gotta scare him a little..."

Jayne smirked at Dobson. "Pain is scary," he said matter-of-factly.

Mal shook his head. "Do it right," he ordered and then left them.

He stopped by Inara's shuttle. Her business had little to do with his, this was true, but he still considered her part of her crew, somewhat and decided that she needed to know what was happening. Inara, upon hearing that there was a child on board immediately demanded to be taken to her. Mal, feeling like he needed to have a talk with the little _wan nao_, accompanied her.

Simon was still tending to her eye when they strode in. Kaylee was there, gushing a bit over the little ragamuffin. Shepherd Book was reading his Bible by the door. For some reason the majority of the ship seemed to be gravitating around the girl. Mal crossed his arms. "Doc? A word?" he stepped back outside of the infirmary.

Inara went over and introduced herself compassionately. Simon came outside of the infirmary. "How is she?" Mal asked. Simon sighed.

"This isn't the first time I've seen a case like this," he started, and then took another breath. "Nothing's broken which is good. Her face is the most damaged part. That eye will take a while to heal, but she doesn't need stitches. She has a bruised rib as well and she's a little underweight for her age. She doesn't seem to have sustained any sort of concussion, but of course I cannot determine that for certain without more complex equipment."

"So, in short, someone beat the _gui_ out of her?" Mal asked, face growing hot. Simon looked at the girl who was smiling hesitantly and looked a tad overwhelmed. Then he looked at the captain disapprovingly.

"From what I understand, it's a friend of yours," he said.

"That is the last thing in the world I would call Badger," Mal said menacingly. Then he drew back. "Say," he began. "You did good today. Where did you say you were headin'?" Simon wiped a somber hand over his face.

"Not quite sure just yet. I just had to get off Persephone."

"So you're drifting?" Mal asked. Simon nodded his head in assent. "Well, you be sure not to have any surprises of your own and if you'd like, until you get to where you're going, I could use a Doc on my ship. Always have someone in need of a little patchin' up. I'd be willing to give you a deal on your passage."

Simon thought a second and then gave Mal a grateful look. "That actually sounds perfect for me right about now, Captain."

"Good man! Welcome aboard!" Mal clapped a hand on his shoulder and then walked into the infirmary.

"Well, then, what do you we have here?" he asked. He stopped a few feet away from her. The girl looked a little bit intimidated of him and he didn't want to scare the poor thing. Inara even gave him a warning look as the girl started shaking a bit. _Oh, zao gao. I don't know how to deal with a little kid!_ He thought. He relaxed his tone and crouched before the girl. "Hey _ying chi_, why don't we go get you a little something to eat, but then I'm going to need to have a little talk with ya, alright, _bao bei_?"

His kind words reassured her a bit, but then she remembered that she had to be strong, she was on her own now. "I'm not a baby, so you should stop talking to me like one," she responded.

Mal bit the inside of his cheek to stifle a laugh. "Okay, then, you little imp. Let's get you fed." Evie's stomach growled heavily at that and this time Mal didn't hold back his chuckle.

-Evie was consuming some sort of liquid protein infused soup and wasn't complaining. Jayne had come in to report that Dobson had been bluffing. "They don't know a damn thing, and I didn't even get to cut on him any. I was gonna get me an ear too..."

"Jayne!" Inara said reproachfully. "There's a child present!" Evie just shrugged and went back to her soup.

"So what do we do with him now?" asked Wash, who put the ship into auto pilot mode when he discovered they weren't in danger. Mal thought a second. "We dump him on Whitefall. And then we get paid."'

"And me?" asked the girl.

"Well now, that's a good question. What's your story, love?" Mal asked. The question made her shiver. He sounded too much like her father with those words. She felt uncomfortable as everyone's eyes turned to her.

"Just want to get away from Persephone, is all," she answered simply.

"Well, now, the reason why is written plainly on your face," Mal said. "But I still need to know a _tad_ more."

"Yeah, my father's Badger, and no, I ain't proud of it," she said, pushing the rest of the bowl of soup away as her appetite left her. "I know ya ain't exactly friends so iffin you wanta dump me on Whitefall too, I wouldn't blame you."

"He do that to your face?" asked Jayne, compassionate in his own rough way.

"Yeah, and what do you think he'd do if ya sent me back?" asked Evie, getting heated.

Attempting to diffuse the situation, Mal spoke. "Listen, uh..."

"My name's 'Evie'," she said shortly.

"Ok, Evie, no one's dumping you anywhere. But Serenity doesn't exactly do the type of business that's conducive to children being on board," Mal tried to explain.

"And what kind of business is that," Simon asked. At Mal's warning stare he added, "What, I'm on the crew now and can't know?"

Mal heaved a breath and Jayne looked down at his knife. Ignoring Simon, he entreated: "I'm just saying that this ship isn't exactly the safest place for a little girl."

"But I'm not just a little girl! I know things! I can be useful, you'll see!" Evie pleaded. Even though Mal and the big mongoloid scared her, she felt a certain familial safety there unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Mal took a deep breath. He knew he couldn't let her go back to the man who'd created those injuries. He couldn't leave a little girl to fend for herself on Whitefall. And he couldn't babysit a damn kid while captaining the Serenity.

"What's going to happen now is that we're all going to bed. Kaylee, show the Doc where the spare room is, he's going to be staying with us a while. I don't have an extra room for the pup so she can bunk with ya Kaylee or Inara for tonight. We'll sort more out tomorrow after a good night's rest." He leaned down so his face was close to Evie's. "But don't you be causing no trouble on my ship in the meantime, or else you'll answer to me, _dong ma?"_

"Yes, Sir," Evie answered, still feeling anxious, playing with the grain of the table. The galley got quiet.

"I said "bed". Now!" the Captain ordered and suddenly everyone was up and shuffling about. Inara took hold of the girl by the shoulders and led her toward her shuttle where she's make a place for her, grateful that Whitefall wasn't exactly that would be good for business.

-The next morning, Inara had confirmed that the rugrat was still asleep, Simon was taking stock of his supplies in the infirmary and Kaylee was showing the Shepherd the ins and outs of the engine room. Mal had checked to make sure Dobson was securely bound.

"Sleep well?" he asked and Dobson gave him a look filled with fury. "Well now, don't make a fuss and you may make it off this ship in one piece. You can even have your bossman grab ya off that little moon if you're all that important to him. Though I can't see why you would be." Dobson just looked away disgustedly. Mal leaned in close to his face and waited until Dobson made eye contact. "And you tell that bun _tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro_ to forget about the girl. Not like he's winning any Father of the Year contests anytime soon, anyways. She ain't going back to that sadistic piece of _gosa_. We'll stay out of his way if he'll stay out of ours, but if he so much tries to lay a finger on her when she's under my care, I'll make sure he loses it." Dobson chuckled at that.

"Hell, I say good riddance to the troublemaking brat. Let her be someone else's problem. Just not sure Badger's going to want to part with the fruit of his loins so easily."

"Making a kid don't mean you're in a spot to raise one. He lost that right."

"And what," Dobson said, amused. "_You're_ going to raise her? Or just dump her off so she can get the same or worse in the system. Get real, Mal."

Mal resisted the urge to give him an eye matching the little one and turned and walked out. _Man has a point,_ he mused. Muttering curses in both Chinese and English he jogged up the steps to join Wash, Zoe and Jayne who were enjoying their morning coffee on the flight deck. "We got a problem," Mal began.

"_Ti wo de pi gu,_ for once this century, I'd like to go 24 hours with hearing those four little words," exclaimed Wash. Just then a noise from the console got all of their attention. "We're being hailed," Wash announced.

"Must be Patience, put her up," Mal ordered. Wash complied and a rugged looking older woman in backwater colony clothes popped up on the screen.

"Malcolm Reynolds," she greeted.

"Hello, Patience," Mal returned.

"I have to say, I didn't look to be hearing from you anytime soon," she stated, an amused glint in her eye.

Mal smirked. "Well, we may not have parted on the best of terms- I realize certain words were exchanged, also certain...bullets. But that's all past us now. We're business people. 'Sides, your days of fighting over salvage rights are long behind you, from what I hear. What are you, Mayor now?"

Patience blew out a breath. "Just about. You telling the truth about that cargo? 'Cause your asking price is much too reasonable for that much treasure."

"It's imprinted. Alliance," he said immediately.

"Government goods, huh?" Patience said, surprised. Mal shrugged. "If that doesn't work for you, no harm. Just thought you could use-"

"Alliance don't scare me," Patience interrupted. "I like you being upfront about it. We can deal. I'll upload coordinates for a rendezvous point outside of town."

_Evie had snuck away as Inara was bathing and hid behind the bulkhead of the flight deck, catching the last part of the transmission._

Mal simply nodded and smiled wide at Patience. The screen went black. Mal bit his lip, sucked in a breath, turned to his crew. "I believe that woman's planning to shoot me again," he stated, incredulous.

"'She meant to pay you, she'd have tried haggling you down some," Jayne put in.

"Just a little effort to hide it would've been nice-" Wash began.

_Evie suppressed a gasp as Mal interrupted him by angrily knocking his tin coffee cup off it's tray into the wall. The room went silent a moment. Evie held her breath. Zoe spoke up._

"Sir, we don't have to deal with her."

"Yes we do."

"Well, here's a little concept I been working on," Jayne began, "why don't we just shoot her first?"

Wash shrugged, "It _is_ her turn..."

Zoe waved her husband off, "Sir, there's moons on this belt we ain't seen. We could try our luck on one of-"

"Our _LUCK_?" Mal asked viciously. "Noticed anything particular about our luck these last few days? Any kind of pattern?"

_Evie realized he was talking about her and his tone scared her. Well, not just her, but probably a big chunk of it was her presence. He considered her a piece of bad luck. A burden. He flat out said that he didn't want her on the ship._ _Well, she wasn't going to be a burden on anyone. If her presence was causing so much grief, she'd take care of that for them. Especially since Mal seemed to be getting so angry. Angry grown men were never a good thing, in her experience._

_ She'd get off on Whitefall. Find a job. Hell, maybe this 'Patience' lady could make use of her. If Malcolm Reynolds wanted her gone, she'd oblige him. She sunk back into the shadows._

"You depend on luck, you end up on the drift, no fuel, no prospects, begging for Alliance make-work or being towed out to the scrapbelt. That ain't us. Not ever. Patience has the money to pay and she's going to. One way or another," Mal lectured. Jayne huffed. "Still say there's gonna be gunplay." "Most like, and we'll be ready for that. There's obstacles in our path, we're gonna deal with them. One by one."


	4. Chapter 4

**So yeah, I basically got rid of River. Figured there should only be one troubled girl on the ship. I might have her come into the story later. I feel like I'm cheating a little bit in copying the dialogue from the show but I want to adhere to the story as much as possible. I don't know if I'll end up incorporating ALL 14 episodes at some point , I'm just going with it for now! Constructive criticism is always appreciated!**

They talked strategy for a bit longer then decided to go down to the kitchen to put some food in their bellies before they went to face off with Patience. Most of the crew had the same idea. Kaylee had fixed some sort of protein scramble and Book had generously provided them with some fresh vegetables to accompany the meal. Mal approved. It had been a long time since anyone on his crew had eaten something that was freshly grown and not packaged in a lab. It would be good for morale and he could use any little help he could get.

The young one was shoveling food into her mouth as Mal walked in and he cautioned, "Whoa whoa, Darlin', easy. No one's gonna take your plate away. You'll get a stomach ache if you keep that up."

At hearing his voice, she looked up quickly and then just as quickly stared back at her plate. She began to push the food around with her fork sulkily, appetite seemingly gone. Mal thought about asking what had gotten into her, but decided to talk to the Doc about it later. Poor little thing was probably gonna be scared of him and most men for a while and he couldn't blame her. He just didn't want to make it worse by not knowing how to handle a kid who'd been through what she had.

"Alright, listen up!" he raised his voice to announce to everyone on board. "We got some business to tend to at Whitefall. When we land, Zoe, Jayne and I are the only ones to leave the ship. You can't be too careful on these backwater moons. Inara, Shepherd, keep watch over the little lady, will ya?" They both assented.

"I don't need a babysitter!" Evie protested, railing at his throwing a bit of a monkey wrench into her plans. Her tone had Mal straightening. He didn't like his authority being challenged. But then he saw that mottled face and he relaxed.

"I only meant that they should keep you from being bored. It's not like we got any toys on board, yanno?"

"I told you, I'm not a baby and I don't need toys or a babysitter," she retorted. The crew got silent. No one back-talked the Captain.

Mal rubbed a hand over his face and took a steadying breath to try to control his temper. He bit his lip and squinted at her. She eyed him back sassily. He could see the girl was terrified but was taking a lot of pains not to show it. She was a brave little imp, he'd give her that. "Listen, little _wan nao,_" he began, trying to keep his tone even. "I understand you've been through some hell and it's tuggin' at my heart strings a might, it really is."

Evie tried to stop herself from shaking as he approached the table where she was seated with slow, but meaningful steps. "And trust me when I say that no one is going to hurt you like that, never again," he said gesturing to her injuries. He was very close to her now, looking down at her reproachfully and she felt smaller than she'd ever felt in her life. "But if you think you can talk back to me on _my_ boat, you've got another thing coming, _dong le ma_?"

"Yes," she said into her breakfast plate.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, child," he said softly, but demandingly. She complied, staring at him from under her lashes, still expecting a blow even though he'd said he wouldn't hit her. "Yes, what?" It was more of a command than a question.

"Yes, Sir," she spat.

Mal shook his head. She definitely had spunk. Finally after he looked down at her in a veritable staring match for a good 30 seconds he warned, "Don't do it again." With that, he turned and marched out calling for Zoe and Jayne to roll out.

It seemed as though everyone left breathed out a sigh of relief at their exodus.

"That man," Book observed, "is not a man to be trifled with."

_Well that'll be one less thing to worry about, soon,_ Evie mused.

It didn't take her long to evade her watchers. All she had to do was say she needed to use the little girl's room. Inara and Book were so involved in their theology debate that they didn't seem to notice that the child wasn't even going in the direction she was supposed to be.

She watched as Jayne drove off with Mal and Zoe. Dobson was tied to the back of the mule. She was glad that the Captain had left him alive. The man was a l_iou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze_ but she didn't feel anyone deserved to die, not even 'dear old dad'.

She knew that a firefight would go down and knew she didn't have any weapons. She didn't want to see anybody die. Hopefully Mal and Zoe and that mongoloid would make it out alive. But she wasn't going to emerge until the excitement was all over. She tracked the Mule and followed it's trail, albeit quite a bit more slowly. She wouldn't be able to find this 'Patience' lady without them. She came to a clearing where it appeared that they had stopped. There was a divot in the ground. A big one. About the size of a male's bod-

A hand wrapped around her mouth and she felt something sharp, like glass at her throat."Evie, Evie, Evie... I thought I was going to have to nab that cute little mechanic to get us home, but you just made this situation a lot less complex." It was Dobson's voice. She tried to scream but his hand tightened over her mouth. "Let's get back to that piece of _gosa_ ship," he said as he roughly nudged her forward, never taking the piece of glass he'd used to break free of his bonds from her throat.

He was excited. His boss would love that not only did he screw up Malcolm Reynolds, but now he was returning his little brat to him. He'd be rewarded handsomely, he was sure.

Inara was cursing under her breath. Mal would have the little girl's hide if he knew she had eluded them. She'd be surprised if he didn't try to skin her too. He really had no authority over her, she rented a shuttle from him and conducted her own affairs separately from his own. But that might not stop him when he was angry.

Inara and Book wandered around the ship, looking behind this or that to look for the little one. "Why would she..." Inara gasped and then her voice made a strangled sound as she watched Dobson come in with the girl, a large shard of glass pressed to her throat. Book looked to where she stared and straightened, silently.

"We're going home. Right. Now. Page that _yu ben de_ pilot of yours and tell him to head back to Persephone," ordered Dobson.

Book put his hands up in surrender, "If the Captain doesn't get paid from this job, there won't be enough fuel to get us there. Let's not act rashly."

"Don't give me that, Shepherd. Between you, the fancy whore and that pretty boy doctor, I'm sure there's plenty of funds to go around!" He looked to Inara. "So get your hoity toity ass on that intercom and tell him to get this piece of garbage out of here. Unless you want to see this kid smiling through her neck!"

"Wash!" he heard Inara's panicked voice through the intercom. Simon, who'd been upstairs visiting with him rose to attention at her tone as well. "Wash, he's got her. That... man. He's got Evie. He says we have to head full burn for Persephone or he'll kill her." Wash and Simon looked at each other and before either could say anything, Simon fled from the room, grabbing Wash's pistol off the dash.

Just then, a proximity alert went off on his console. He looked at the screen.

"Oh, don't... don't you dare..." he warned before picking up the intercom to answer.


	5. Chapter 5

**You'll have to excuse some editing issues, I'm still getting used to this site! So, let me know, should I include less dialogue or more? Should I get to the spankerin' already (I've kind of held off because of the abuse, I wanted Evie to trust the crew already) Should I continue what I'm doing? Let me know!**

As Simon stepped out and viewed the scene below he knew that his gun would offer him no advantage if he did not get the man away from the girl. Simon made an impulsive decision and jumped down, landing right on top of him. The air whooshed out of his lungs. Apparently he'd greatly injured Dobson as well as both men were strewn out on the floor of the cargo bay, too much in pain to move right away.

* * *

The entire showdown had been a mess and Mal was truly sick and tired. Jayne had succeeded in taking out the snipers and so they had a bit of a drop on Patience and her gang. Someone hit Zoe with a their shotgun and she went flying.

"Zoe!" he shouted. She ripped open her shirt to reveal some sort of Kevlar beneath it.

"Ah... Armor's dented".

"Well, you were right about this being a bad idea..."

"Thank you for saying so, Sir," she replied as she began to dust herself off.

Patience had moved behind her horse in an attempt to protect herself. She had a rifle pointed precariously at him, but it seemed as she was having trouble aiming it at that proximity. "Mal, don't you take another step!" Mal's face set in a grim line and he walked toward her and pulled the trigger. Her horse fell right on top of her. He pointed his pistol right at her face.

"I did a job. I got nothing but trouble since I did it, not to mention more than a few unkind words as regards to my character so let me make this abundantly clear. I do the job." He bent over and snatched the pouch of coins from her. "And then I get paid." He turned to walk away.

"Go run your little world."

Then the sight of Jayne running toward him, the look on his face extremely alarmed chilled him to the bone. "MAL! It's Wash! We got a ship coming in. They're Gorramn Reavers, Mal!"

* * *

Dobson lunged for the gun, but Simon threw himself on top of him. They struggled for a bit and then Dobson elbowed Simon in the face. His fingertips brushed the metal of the gun and then it was in his hand. He pointed it at Simon and then waved it to where Inara had collected Evie after Simon tackled him. "Come here, Evie," he coaxed but Inara kept a firm grip on her shoulder.

Then Wash came over the com. "REAVERS! Reavers incoming and headed straight for us. We are in the air in one minute!"

The air lock began to open and before Dobson could turn around to see what was going on, Mal shot him clean through the head. Inara covered her mouth and brought the child's head to her side to shield her from the sight of Jayne and Mal carrying the limp body to toss out of the airlock. He pounded the intercom receiver. "Wash! We're on!"

The hatch wasn't even closed before Wash took off and the lot of them, dumbfounded, start to make their way to the flight deck.

"How close are they?" Mal asked Wash, looking out the into the black for any sign of the creatures.

"About twenty seconds from spitting distance!" Wash replied tersely. Jayne maintained that they would lose them. Mal demanded rear visual from Zoe. Pulling it up on screen, she gasped at the proximity.

"_Ai ya. Women wanle,"_she warned.

"How close do they need to be to fire the grapples?" Mal demanded of Wash.

"Wash, get us out of here, lose 'em!" Jayne yelled nervously.

Wash was eerily calm as he said, "If everyone could just be quiet a moment..."

The Reaver ship was hot on their tail as Mal whirled on Inara and the girl. "Take her, the Doc and the Shepherd to your shuttle, now."

Inara protested, "Well we can't just leave you here!"

"That was the plan," maintained Mal. Inara protested once again but he wouldn't have it. "We get boarded, you take off, head for town. We might be able to stop them from following."

"They'll kill you!" she whispered passionately.

"Inara," he said simply, tenderly. Then went as if to brush her hair out of her face, but simply rested it on the Companion's shoulder. Then he pushed her away. "Go."

The four went, the Companion refusing to let go of the little girl's hand.

Mal went back onto the flight deck just in time to hear Wash warn, "I don't mean to alarm anybody... but I think we are being followed..." Then he punched another button on the intercom. "Kaylee, I need an Ivan. Think you can pull a Crazy Ivan?"

Her voice, sweet and innocent and seemingly always positive, "Always wanted to try one!" She set everything up and than shouted, "OK!" to Wash.

Wash pushed another button and his voice erupted throughout the ship, including into Inara's shuttle where she was busy buckling Evie into the co-pilot seat. "Everyone hold onto something!" He warned. "Here's something you can't do," he said softly and then slammed down a lever. One of the ship's jets lurched into a complete 180 degree circle and soon in was flying head on toward the Reaver ship, blowing past it. Then Wash yelled "NOW!" and Kaylee hit a button and Serenity went full burn into the atmosphere, blasting the Reaver ship in it's wake. Wash relaxed at his controls. Zoe and Mal both breathed deeply in disbelief.

Mal hit the intercom. "We're good, people." They heard Jayne whoop somewhere in the ship where he'd likely staked out a place to hold down as long as he could with his arsenal of weapons. In the engine room, Kaylee patted the hull telling the ship what a good girl she was.

"We should have just enough left in us to hit a fuel station. We'll need to do some patching up." He looked hopefully at Zoe and Mal. "I hope we got paid today?"

Mal assured, "We did."

Zoe and Wash exchanged a knowing look. "Sir? I'd like you to take the helm, please," Zoe started, then looked to Wash. "I need this man to tear all my clothes off." Mal smiled and gestured toward the door. Wash climbed out of the chair.

"Work, work, work..." he pretended to complain. Mal planted himself in the chair, let out a sigh. Then he paged the intercom so that he reached Inara's shuttle. She answered the call. "Inara, get them citizens in here. We have a few things to discuss. I need to know what happened while I was out making money."

* * *

All four of them seemed to look like guilty little kids who had done something wrong. Mal eyed them all, arms crossed, like a disappointed Daddy trying to figure out "who did it". He knew there was something they weren't telling him and he was going to get to the bottom of it. "So what exactly happened while I was out getting' shot at to get the bills paid?" Mal asked as many of them eyed the floor. "That Dobson guy get free all on his lonesome, break back onto the ship and find a weapon somehow?" he asked, walking down the line of recalcitrant people. "Because I certainly know that when I left him, he was in no position to be able to do such a thing."

"He freed himself with a piece of glass," Book offered, one of the few who dared look Mal in the eye.

"And how do we know that little bit of info?" asked Mal, surprised.

"Because he had it to the girl's neck when we all encountered him, Sir," Simon said politely. Mal eyed him and then turned his gaze onto the other three.

"And just how did he get a hold of the little one if she were in capable hands?" Mal asked, directing the question to Inara and Book.

"Well you see," Inara began. "Well... she went missing. We didn't expect her to..." she began looking for the words to soften the disclosing the fact that-

"You mean she ran off," finished Mal in a chastising tone, pointedly standing in front of the girl.

"Well, Mal, I don't know that..." Inara began but Evie cut her off.

She stepped forward a bit, determined to show them her lack of fear even though she was, in truth, very afraid. "Yes, Captain. I left the ship. I heard you when you said I was bad luck. I didn't think you wanted me here anymore." Mal leveled her with a disapproving stare.

"So not only did you disobey my orders, but you eavesdropped in on my business?" he asked, his visage darkening. She bit her lip and looked at him sullenly. He pursed his lips, then without taking his eyes off her he dismissed the rest of them. "Everyone but this little _wu ming shao zu_, go back to your bunks. We have a few things to discuss."

Simon was all too ready to leave and the Shepherd went haltingly after them. "I'd like to know how that _huai dan _came by that gun eventually," he called after them. Then his eyes went back to the girl. "But I feel that I have more important matters to tend to," he said, his voice full of steel. He felt Inara's hand on his shoulder.

"Mal, I-I... just don't..." Inara said in a pleading voice, but Mal interrupted her.

"Have you never known me to be cruel or unfair, Inara?" he employed.

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "You've never not been either," she retorted, hiking up her skirts and walking out. He smiled after her.

Then his gaze became hard again as he looked at the girl. "Have a seat," he gestured to the co-pilot's seat as he took his position next to it and half-heartedly took the helm. She stayed put, back against the wall, shooting him a challenging look. Mal swiveled about and crossed his arms. "I wouldn't make the mistake of considering that simply an invitation, little one," he warned. She cautiously walked over to the other seat, looking like a rabbit ready to run as she approached. Finally, she plopped down. Mal inspected his fingernails. "Now we got a little problem," he began. Then flicked his gaze to hers. "And it's got to do with what we're gonna do with you." She looked away, but he continued. "I don't suppose there were any other family or friends you got to take you in?" She shook her head. "Well then. We both know it's a big bad world out there and if ya ain't on this ship, I can't protect you from it." He caught the look of surprise on her face. "Problem is, if you don't mind me, I can't protect you from it neither," he said, leaning forward. He had her attention now. "I ain't got all the answers just yet, but you ain't going back to that... man. And you ain't going in the system. You're stuck here, kid, if you want it." Evie could barely contain her smile. "Now, now, don't get too excited yet, Missy," Mal cautioned and Evie's face dropped. "You'll have to earn your keep. You'll have chores. We may even get that preacher man to give you a bit of schooling." Evie sneered at that. "Now, now, we could just drop you off at one of the inner planets and have the government decide what to do with ya, brat," he cautioned.

"No, please! I'll earn my keep! And I'll do the damn schooling!" Evie pleaded suddenly.

Mal arched a brow at her curse. "And you'll mind me?" he asked. Evie nodded her head furiously. "Well, you didn't do such a good job of proving that today," he began and Evie's face fell. "Let me tell you something, little one. You want to be on this ship and this crew, that can't happen again. And if it does well..." he trailed off.

Evie looked at him out of her peripheral vision, her face turned.

"I told ya, no one's going to hurt you like that ever again under my watch," he gestured to her eye, which seemed to be improving in spite of the day's conflicts. "But every once and again my Ma gave me a lickin' when I needed it as a kid and I see the benefit in it now."

"Because you turned out to be such a role model," she replied snidely and Mal could only laugh. Once his chuckle ended he offered, "You want to stay on this ship, you abide by my rules. And if you don't, now you know the consequences. Take it or leave it, kid."

Evie pondered. She'd heard of other kids getting "lickings" and "spankings" at school, and they didn't seem so unhappy—not that she was anxious to hurry about getting one. It seemed Mal was offering a new start, a new family- a new way of life.

Finally she looked at him square in the face and that look of hope nearly made his heart swell.

"I'll take it."

* * *

Simon came up after he sent the girl to bed, once again, with Inara, wondering what sort of sleep arrangements he'd have to figure out once Inara was on a planet where there were decent clientele for her again.

"I saw that before," Simon said, gesturing to Mal's arm wound from the shoot out with Patience that had seemed like it had happened a week ago. "Want me to take a look at it?"

"Naw, it's just a graze," answered Mal, simply.

"So, you're taking on the girl," asked Simon. Mal barely looked up. "There may be places she'd be safe. You want the truth, though, she's probably safer on the move, for now." He turned to him. "And we never stop moving."

Simon smiled. "Are you always this sentimental?"

"I had a good day," he answered.

Simon coughed. "You had the law on you, criminals and savages... half the people on this ship have had weapons threatening their lives, including yourself, and you're harboring a runaway."

Mal turned back to the stars. "We're still flying," he responded.

"That's..." Simon hesitated, then finished, "not much."

Mal marveled at the 'verse in that moment and grinned to himself. "It's enough," was all he said.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thanks for all of the support everyone, keep reviewing and let me know what y'all want!**_

_Several weeks later_

Simon watched from the catwalk as Mal, Zoe and Kaylee played Jayne, Wash and Evie in some sort of ball game. Evie had started to settle in well, he observed. She was more comfortable with human contact. She had stopped shaking around Mal and Jayne, stopped shrinking away from their touch when they sought to pat her shoulder or rustle her hair. In fact, right at the moment, Jayne had her on his shoulders as Mal went for her, barely missing. Jayne ran toward the hoop and she scored. Jayne did a victory dance hoisting the little girl up high as she yelled triumphantly.

Inara emerged from her shuttle and joined him. "Who's winning?" she asked. Simon pondered a minute.

"I can't really tell... they don't be playing by any civilized rules that I know," he scoffed.

"Well, we're pretty far from civilization," she mused.

"Don't I know it..." he muttered, then turned to her. "Do you know that I supported Unification?"

Inara turned her gaze to the game. "So did I."

"I believed everything they told us. How the Alliance would solve our problems. Right the wrongs. I wanted to be part of that," he ranted.

"Things are better for a great many," she said wistfully.

"It would have been unthinkable, three years ago, that I'd be on a ship like this," he said and then gestured to the haphazard game in front of him, "with people like that."

"They're good people," Inara said simply.

"Oh, no doubt," the once central planet renowned doctor said, "And I'm grateful. Very grateful that Captain Reynolds has allowed me to remain on board. I just... I don't know. This life on the run. It's so different than what I'm used to."

Inara shot him a small knowing smile. "Well, we're all running from something I suppose." He looked at her quizzically but neither asked the other any questions. Suddenly, there was an electronic beeping. The game halted.

"Proximity alert. Must be comin' up on somethin'..." Zoe suggested.

Wash wiped sweat from his brow and made an alarmed face. "Oh, gawd! What could it _be _? We're DOOMED! Who's flying this thing?!" Then his face assumed a weary smile. "Oh. Right. That'd be me. Back to work." He tossed the ball to the others and headed up to the flight deck.

"Guess that leaves us a man short, don't it?" Kaylee asked.

Jayne chortled. "Little Kaylee's always a man short." Kaylee playfully punched his arm. "Hey Doc, come on down if you're not too chicken!" she teased Simon flirtatiously.

Simon began to walk down the steel steps only to be lurched off his feet as the ship suddenly swung him off balance. Many of the crew had lost their footing and were picking themselves up as the ball bounced carelessly away. Jayne hauled Evie up by one arm a little roughly and set her on her feet.

"Everyone ok?" he asked, protective in his own way. Everyone murmured assents as Mal was already entering the flight deck.

"What'd you have a stroke?" he asked Wash.

"Near enough," he answered and pointed at the derelict ship that was spinning in place in front of them.

"What happened?" Zoe asked.

"Wuh de ma," exclaimed Jayne, spotting the ship.

"Anyone home?" asked Mal.

"Been hailing her," Wash said. "But if whoever's there's as healthy as the guy we just ran over, can't imagine they'll be pickin' up." Mal pondered that a minute and then decided they'd go take a look. Jayne didn't seem to think it was a good idea until Mal insinuated that there might be something valuable on board.

Mal, Jayne and Zoe began putting spacesuits on.

"Can I come?!" asked Evie eagerly.

"No," the three of them answered in unison. Evie's face fell.

"Oh, come on! I haven't been off this ship since Whitefall. Gonna _die_ of boredom!" she whined.

"Steals her way onto the ship and now she's complaining that we won't let her off. Sometimes you just can't win," Jayne muttered snidely. Evie ignored him.

"Come on! Wash has been hailing them, there's no one on board!"

"Too dangerous, little one. Stay on the ship. If you're good we might bring you back something shiny," said Mal, snapping his helmet on. "Stay with Inara and Kaylee. Do girl stuff. We'll be back soon."

Evie huffed and stomped her foot. "You never let me do anything fun!" she whined. Mal paused, went rigid and leveled a glare at the girl. It would've almost been comical through the glass, but she could see that he was deathly serious.

"You might want to see to that tone before I see to your backside," he warned. Jayne smirked but the rest of the crew went quiet. Kaylee went and put her arm around Evie's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Inara can do something fun with your hair while they see to this business," she said, eternally cheerful, trying to get her as far away from the irritated captain as she could.

* * *

They had been gone for 20 minutes at most but Evie felt like it'd been a whole hour. Inara had given her two French braid pigtails.

"We might go a little crazy and wash your face later!" she had teased.

"I'm gonna go look in the mirror," Evie said as she left Kaylee and Inara to their gossip. She sneaked past the infirmary so that she didn't catch Simon's eye and the galley where Book was reading that damned Bible. She was padding over to the spacesuits, hoping there was one that was in her size when she heard the airlock door open. She jumped into a storage compartment just in time to hear Jayne barreling past, shouting for the doctor.

"Grab your med-kit and let's hoof it. Mal wants us both there on the double," she heard him order loudly.

"They've found survivors?" Simon asked, surprised.

"Didn't say. Don't worry about that space suit. Life support is fully functioning," he told him. They both left out the airlock and Evie breathed a sigh of relief. That was one obstacle out of the way. She would just go and look around and be back on Serenity before anyone noticed. She didn't know when she would get this chance again, so she had to take advantage. Life on the ship could be SO _boring._

The ship was latched onto the other ship's standard matching bulkhead. She waiting a few minutes then followed after Simon and Jayne, moving soundlessly. She heard them moving ahead of her, talking nonchalantly.

"What was that?!" Jayne suddenly exclaimed, turning around. She leaned into a room on the left and tried to control her breathing.

"I didn't hear anything," Simon remarked. Jayne listened and heard nothing and kept going. Evie quietly blew out her breath and started exploring, knowing her time was limited.

* * *

Mal walked around, surveying the place. The ship was on emergency power was on and the only light in the place was the footlights leading their way. They walked into the ships galley and Mal and Zoe shared a look as they observed the fact that food was left half eaten on plates.

"Whatever happened here happened real quick," Mal stated. Zoe nodded her assent. They moved onto a bridge.

"Everything was left on... Ship powered down on its own." Zoe looked around. "No sign of struggle, just-"

"-gone," Mal finished.

"Sir," Zoe said suddenly. Mal moved to her. "Personal log," she continued. "Someone was in the middle of an entry..." She looked at him for permission to fire it up.

Before she could play it, Simon and Jayne caught up with them.

"Let's do this quick, people. Coupla loads each. No need to be greedy," Mal ordered.

"Where are all the people?" asked Simon.

"Ship says the lifeboat launched more'n a week ago. We're gonna assume everyone got off okay. Anyway, we're just here to pick the bones. You two start in the engine room. Jayne, take the galley," said the captain. The big man headed in that direction and Zoe and Simon stuck close to Mal.

Zoe stepped up close to him and whispered, " Sir, I count 16 families signed on. Lifeboat wouldn't hold a third of that." Suddenly, her flashlight landed on a collection of boxes in the corner. Mal went over to investigate.

"Gen-seed, protein, crop supplements. Everything a growing family needs for a fresh start on a new world..." Mal explained, dumbfounded. They might as well have been holding boxes full of gold coins.

"Sir," Zoe said, hesitantly. "Even on a lifeboat. You'd think those who escaped would have found room for some of this?"

Then they heard the scream.


	7. Chapter 7

She stared up at them; The bodies, strung up from the ceiling. Clumps of twisted flesh, the skin pale and luminescent. It seemed they kept going on and on in some sort of circular fashion as it snaked its way to the top of the ship. She wanted to look away but she couldn't.

She heard the footfalls pounding their way toward her but couldn't take her eyes off of the mangled carcasses.

"Evie?" Mal was the first to react. He ran to her and grabbed her face in his hands. "What are you doing off Serenity?" She was white as a ghost. She didn't even reply. She simply pointed a quivering finger upwords.

Mal looked upwards and saw the twisted carnage that hung above. He grasped Evie and took her to his chest trying to shield her eyes from what they already saw. "_Jen dao mei, _I know what did this." He grabbed his transmitter and looked at Simon. "Get her out of here," he said as he pushed her into Simon's arms.

"Jayne? Jayne. Drop what you're doing and get to the engine room," Mal ordered. Jayne just laughed and then grabbed his walkie talkie and started to answer Mal but didn't get a word out. Something attacked him from behind.

* * *

They heard the gun fire. Mal was more insistent that Simon get Evie back on the ship. Mal and Zoey drew their weapons. "If I make it through this, you and I are going to have a little talk later," he promised Evie. Her eyes watered at his insinuation that he might get hurt. She broke free from Simon and threw herself around his neck. He hugged her tightly and then smacked her on the butt lightly. "Come on, little one, back to Serenity."

"Mess hall's on the way back to the ship, Sir," Zoe said.

Mal had Evie at his side."Alright then, we'll back together. Everyone, stay close." He slapped Evie's butt again, "and at any sign of trouble, you run for the ship, got me _bao bei?_" Evie nodded and curled close to him and they all headed toward the mess hall where they heard the shots. Mal entered first, his gun coming through the door before he did. A table was flipped. There was food on the floor. Clutching Evie to his side, he entered, Zoe covering his back and Simon looking terrified.

He heard a noise and he turned and drew on...

Jayne.

Jayne was pointing his gun right back at Mal. Mal shoved Evie behind him. "What'd you see?" Mal asked, not lowering his weapon until Jayne did.

"Didn't. Came at me from behind. Big, though. Strong. Think I mighta hit him," Jayne answered, struggling for breath, looking around wildly, half expecting him to jump out at him again..

"You did," Simon said and gestured toward the floor behind them. There were blood droplets that followed a straight line toward a grate in the wall. Mal pushed Evie into Simon's arms, grabbed Zoe's shotgun, then crept over there. He noiselessly used the nose of the gun to nudge the grate up. He saw a young man cowering in the shadows, fearful and feral. He was muttering something.

"Mercy... mercy... no. Mercy," Mal made out.

"Easy, now," Mal coaxed. "Nobody's going to hurt you." Mal saw that Jayne's bullet hit the young man's arm. "An more than we already did..."

"No mercy!" the disturbed man exclaimed.

"Oh, we got mercy. We got lots and lots of..." he used the butt of the rifle to knock the boy out. He dragged him out and dropped him to the floor.

He wasn't a big man at all, he was barely even grown.

Evie shot Jayne a look. "Oh yes. He's a real beast. It's a wonder you're still alive." Jayne sneered at her and then looked back at the young man, confused.

"Looked bigger when I couldn't see him," was his defense.

Mal looked at the knocked out boy, grimly. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Everyone gathered in the common area. Inara grabbed Evie up and started to chastise her, but ended up just squeezing her close and telling her to never do that again. Kaylee tugged on her hair and called her a little h_u li jing _, then hugged her close. Zoe leaned up against a wall and simply observed. Wash dozed next to her. Jayne sat and cleaned his knife. And Book held his Bible and prayed.

They all watched as the boy/man was dragged to the infirmary, then watched through the window as the doctor treated his bullet wound. Evie had conveyed as much as possible to Inara and Kaylee and all of them watched the boy in wonder. "I wonder how he's been living like that," Inara asked.

"Dunno. Must be real brave, though. Surviving like that when no one else did," Kaylee remarked.

"Yeah. A real hero. Killin' all of them people," Jayne scoffed. Kaylee looked appalled.

"What? We don't believe that?!" Kaylee shouted. Then looked at Zoe. "Do we?"

"Captain wouldn't take him on board if that were the case," she answered, not looking as convinced as she should.

* * *

Simon patched up the man's wound. The boy wouldn't stop muttering. "Pulse is rapid, blood pressure's highs side of normal. To be expected," he was telling Mal.

"Weak. They were all weak," the survivor said. He looked out the window, saw everyone sitting outside. "Cattle. Cattle for the slaughter," he began.

Mal stood up abruptly. "Dope him," he said abruptly.

Simon looked confused. "I don't think that's-"

"-just do it," Mal ordered. Simon followed orders.

"Open up. See what's inside," the man said before passing out.

"Let's chat," Mal said and they exited. Mal shut and bolted the door to the infirmary from the outside. "Nobody goes in there. Nothing more we can do for him now. Not after what he's seen."

"What do you mean?" asked Simon.

"That ship was hit by Reavers," was all Mal said. Everyone got quiet as the realization dawned on them.

"_Tzao gao,_" from Wash.

Mal looked at Evie squarely. "You. Come with me. It's high time you learn to mind." She hesitantly walked toward him and he took her by her upper arm and marched her toward his room while everyone else watched them, most feeling sorry for her- some feeling like she was finally getting her just desserts.


	8. Chapter 8

**Spanking of a minor in this chapter. Consider yourself warned.**

Mal kept a firm grip on her upper arm as he marched her down the hall and she tried to be brave but ended up dragging her feet a bit. Throwing up his door, he made her climb down the stairs and followed shortly after. She looked at him warily. He put his hands on his hips.

"So," was all he said.

She sat on his bed and refused to meet his gaze. "What part of 'don't leave the ship' did you not understand?" he asked, trying to reign in his temper. He knew he had to discipline the girl, but he wouldn't do it in anger.

Finally she stood up. "I was _bored_, Mal," she whined and then wanted to cross herself for not feeling as brave as she wanted to.

He sat on the bed. "C'mere," was all he said.

"Mal, I..." she started walking toward him and he snaked his hand out, grabbed her wrist and she was over his lap. He landed a good blow on her buttocks to punctuate his point. She mewed a bit, but he held her steadfastly and started bringing his hand down over and over on her backside. Her legs kicked a bit.

"I'm sorrrrrry," she wailed as his punishing hand came down over and over again on her backside.

"Not yet you're not," Mal stated as he continued to spank, his hand coming down at a good pace now. His hand continued to pummel her backside and after a few seconds, Evie started pleading.

"Please, Mal, no more!" she cried.

"Why am I spanking you right now?" Mal lectured, his hand still bringing fire to her bottom, never tiring.

"I didn't listennnnn," whined Evie.

Mal brought his hand down 4 more times and then rested. "Are you listening now, _wan nao_?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir!" she wailed.

"Good," he said simply and began rubbing her back as she cried on his lap. "I would hate to have to take off my belt next time," he warned. She stiffened. He brought her up to sit on his lap, being mindful that her butt was probably pretty sore. "But I'll do it. When I tell you to do something, I do it for a reason. I expect you to mind, _bao bei._" His voice softened and he could feel her tears soaking his shirt.

_Don't make me do this again, little one,_ he thought.

Then, suddenly, there was that same beeping.

Proximity warning.

He climbed up the steps from his room carrying the girl at his side and saw Jayne coming toward them. "It's the Reavers! Gorramn Reavers come back!" he shouted, heading for his bunk and his arsenal.

"Just get that stuff stowed," Mal ordered, setting the girl down.

"Not like it's going to matter!" Jayne tried to reason.

"Just do it!" Mal said, frustrated.

He pushed Evie into Inara's arms and ran up to the flight deck. Wash just sat at the helm, staring.

"Reavers?" asked Mal anxiously.

Wash merely shook his head. Mal looked out of the windshield. An enormous Alliance cruiser sat in front of them.

_Firefly Class Transport, you are ordered to release control of your helm. Prepare to dock and be boarded._

Mal gaped at the ship. "Looks like civilization's finally caught up with us."


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all the support and reviews! Keep them coming, they really inspire me to keep up with this :)**

Commander Harken watched from the bridge as the transport ship moved toward them.

"No mandatory registration markings on the bow. Make sure you cite them for that..." he began.

"Sir," an ensign interrupted. "We've identified the transport ship they were identified to. It was licensed to a group of families out of Bernadette. They were due to touch down in Newhall three weeks ago. Never made it. We've been hailing the vessel, get no response. It appears to be derelict," he informed.

Harken let this sink in. "Continue hailing. Once we've secured these vultures, we'll send a team over."

The radio operator turned and looked at them curiously. "Didn't we have a flag a while back on a Firefly?" he asked.

"Check," Harken ordered. The radio operator did as he was told.

After a few seconds of searching: "Here it is. Alert issued for unidentified Firefly Class, believed to be carrying stolen Alliance goods and a runaway girl."

"Runaway? From what?" asked Harken.

"Doesn't say, Sir." Harken barely refrained from swearing. "40,000 of these old wrecks in the air and that's all they give us? Well, I won't have any surprises on a routine stop. We run into any trouble, we shoot first. Brass can sort it out later."

* * *

Simon helped Jayne and Book load the cargo into the smuggling hold. Mal came around the corner into the cargo bay and everyone looked up expectantly.

"What was it? Was it Reavers?!" asked Jayne, visibly shaken. Evie moaned at the mention of the terrifying creatures and Inara rocked her a little and murmured something soothing in her ear.

"Open the stash, pull out the goods," Mal answered, already opening the cover to the smuggle hold.

"What?" complained Jayne. "I just got done putting it in!"

Mal didn't even bother hiding his frustration. "Yeah, and now I'm telling you to take it all out again!"

"Why for?" asked Jayne, never one to blindly follow orders.

Mal sighed and put his hands on his hips and shot him a warning stare. "I got no notion to argue this," he lectured. "In about two minutes this time this boat's gonna be crawling with Alliance."

"NO!" Evie shouted and shot out of Inara's lap. "They'll take me back to him!"

Zoe, Wash and Kaylee all appeared, catching the last bit of information but having enough self preservation to say nothing. "We haveta run!" said the girl. The color had drained from her face and Mal wondered whether she preferred the Reavers to going back to Badger.

"Can't run. They're pulling us in," Mal answered, approaching her cautiously, hands about to land on her shoulders to reassure her.

"If they find me they'll make me go back," she said, pulling away, backing up until she hit the hull, then sliding down it and rested her head in her hands. Mal looked at her, wanted to go to her, but felt the situation he was dealing with needed more delicacy than he had time for. He looked to Jayne.

"Stack everything right here in plain sight. Wouldn't want to seem as if we're hiding anything. Might give them the wrong impression."

"Or the right one," Wash quipped.

"That too," Mal answered without even looking at him. "Now come here, _bao bei,_" Mal coaxed softly. She looked up at him, hesitated, then looked furious.

"What? Why?! Are you going to put me in 'plain sight' too?" she asked, getting to her feet, but wearing that 'rabbit about to run' look rather than going to him.

"Don't get tetchy. Just do what I say, else we can revisit that wholllle lesson about minding me again, _zao gao,"_ Mal said, patience short.

Evie got up and very slowly, hesitantly went to him. He took her in an embrace. "You get to leave the ship again, at least," he joked and then batted her nose with his finger. He hiked her onto his hip and walked toward the airlock.


	10. Chapter 10

Mal opened the door for Harken and he stormed onto Serenity surrounded by Alliance soldiers. Mal fell into line with Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Kaylee, Inara and Book.

"This your vessel?" The commander asked Mal.

"Bought and paid for. I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds," he answered. '

"This everyone, Captain?" asked Harken. Mal's eyes never left the Commander's.

"By way of crew, it is. Though you're gonna find in our infirmary a fella we rescued from that derelict." Mal looked at his nails. "Saved him, guess you could say," he ended nonchalantly. Harken nodded to his men. "Straight back, next to the common area," Mal called after them helpfully.

Harken gestured to the goods. "And these items- I take it you "rescued" them too?" Mal said nothing. "Looks to me like an illegal salvage operation."

"Does it? That's discouraging," Mal retorted.

Harken looked affronted. "Alliance goods too. You could lose your ship, Captain. But that's a slap on the wrist compared to the penalty for kidnapping. Little girl, 'bout ten years old. When I search this vessel, I won't find her, will I?"

"No children on this boat," was Mal's simple answer. The Commander came close to his face and eyed him. His soldiers had returned and one approached Harken and whispered in his ear. Harken continued to eyeball Mal.

Finally turning, "We'll continue this conversation in a more official capacity." His men started grabbing the crew and dragging them off the ship. "Every inch of this junker gets tossed," Harken continued.

Kaylee halted and stared at him, aghast. "JUNKER?!" she asked, incredulous.

"Settle down, Kaylee," Mal warned as two men were herding him onto the Alliance cruiser.

"But Cap'n! Did you hear what that purple belly called Serenity?!" she exclaimed.

"Shut. UP!" Mal simply warned. Her protective feelings over his baby aside, he knew that she wasn't exactly helping the situation in that moment.

* * *

A Med team wheeled the survivor off the boat. Dozens of soldiers poured into Serenity and were tossing the entire ship. The whole lineup was locked up and interviewed.

"So, you're a Companion. You were based for several years on Shiron. It's only been in the last year that you've been shipping out with the crew of The Serenity," Harken began.

"It's just "Serenity", and that is correct. In a few weeks it will be a year. Why is this important?" Inara asked defensively.

"Just trying to put the pieces together," Harken reacted. " It's a curiosity, a woman of your stature falling in with these... types."

"Not in the least," Inara said huffily. "It's a mutually beneficial business arrangement. I rent the shuttle from Malcolm Reynolds, I expand my client base, and he has a Companion on board which opens certain doors that might be otherwise closed."

"And do you love him?" Harken asked. '

* * *

"I don't see how that's relevant," Zoe answered, arms crossed, barely even looking at the Commander.

"Well, he is your husband," Harken led.

"Yes," Zoe said simply.

Harken decided to use a different tactic. "You two met through Captain Reynolds?"

"Yes," said Zoe succinctly. "Captain was looking for a pilot. I found a husband. Seemed to work out."

Harken examined a piece of paper. "Says here you fought with Captain Reynolds in the war..." he started.

"Fought with a lot of people in the war," Zoe finished.

"And your husband..."

"Fight with him sometimes too," Zoe said, not giving an inch.

Harken paused, looked at her carefully. "Any particular reason you don't want to discuss your marriage?" he asked her.

"Just don't see why it's any of your business, is all. We're very private people," Zoe answered in a hostile manner.

* * *

"The legs!" Wash exclaimed. " Definitely have to say it was her legs! You can put that down." Wash looked very relaxed as he discussed the intricacies of his relationship with his wife.

* * *

"... six Gurstlers crammed right under every cooling drive so that you strain your primary artery function and end up have to recycle secondary exhaust through a bypass system just so's you don't end up pumping it into the main atmo feed and asphyxiating your crew, now that's JUNK," Kaylee said, clearly still indignant.

* * *

Jayne had his arms folded up and wouldn't say a word. He shifted in his seat once, then assumed his very defensive stance.

* * *

"Pirates with their own Chaplain. There's an oddity," Harken said as he regarded Book.

"Not the only oddity this end of space, Commander. Way of things not always so plain as on the central planets. Rules can be a mite fuzzier," Book said, his voice seeming to be ever-soothing.

"Not for me. Our rules are written down. In books," Harken said.

Book smirked a little. "I take my rules from a book, too. But just the one."

Harken smiled back at him. "You met up with Captain Reynolds and his crew on Persephone..." he began and then trailed off.

"That's true," answered Book simply.

"That girl we're looking for was last seen in Persephone," Harken said.

"That a fact?" Asked Book.

"They also reported that she left port aboard a Firefly class transport. Just about the time you shipped out with Serenity..." Harken kept on.

"Well, Persephone is a big place," the Shepherd reasoned.

Harken was getting visibly frustrated. "Yes, but that Firefly isn't and if there is anyone hiding on it, we _will _find them."

* * *

Harken's men were tearing apart the entire ship. They left no compartment unopened, nothing unturned.

Evie couldn't stop her snerk as she watched one of them absurdly flip over the place settings at the dining table.

"What's so funny?!" Simon asked next to her. They were wearing spacesuits and clinging to the side of the ship, staying out of view of the soldiers who were ransacking the ship. He didn't look very comfortable being outside in space.

Her smile dropped and she looked pensively at him. "Who're you hiding from, Simon?" she asked.

Simon sighed and looked back through the windshield. "Not everyone is hiding from a person," he said wistfully.


	11. Chapter 11

Harken walked into the room carrying quite the weighty folder. He sat down in front of Mal and started flipping through it. He wouldn't look up.

"I figure, by now, you been over to that derelict ship," Mal said to break the silence.

"Yes. Terrible thing," was all Harken said, not looking up. "You want my advice, you won't tow it back. Just fire the whole gorram thing from space. Be done with it," Mal said, getting annoyed that the Commander seemed to be blowing him off.

"That ship is evidence. I'm not in the habit of destroying evidence," answered Harken.

''Course not. Be against the rules. I'm gonna make a leap and figure this is your first tour out here on the border." Harken finally looked up.

"You've got a loyal crew there, Sergeant."

"Aint 'Sergeant'. Not no more. War's over," Mal retorted immediately.

"For some the war will never be over. Seems odd you'd name your ship after a battle you were on the wrong side of," the Commander said snidely.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

"That why you attacked that transport ship?" asked Harken.

"What?!" exclaimed Mal, taken by surprise.

The Commander continued to accuse Mal of, not only sacking the ship, but of torturing the survivor. "I'd ask him myself, but I imagine he'll have some trouble speaking with his tongue split down the middle," Harken said.

"_Wuh de tyen, ah..."_ Mal said, realization dawning over him. "Commander, I am not what you need to be concerning yourself with right now..." Mal thought about the Doctor and the little girl on that ship with that- thing and said another oath.

* * *

Mal tried to explain that Reavers had done that to those families and that they had made the survivor watch. He maintained that now, the only way someone could survive that sort of trauma was to become it. The boy would start making himself look like a Reaver by self harming. Then he would behave like one. That would include people getting hurt or killed.

The Commander wasn't buying it. "Let's have two M.P.s up here to escort Sergeant Reynolds to the brig," he ordered.

"Lock me up. I'll thank you for it," he bluffed. "But me and my crew're gonna be the only ones on this ship that's safe if you don't move to act."

"And let's not put him in with his compatriots. In fact, let's see to it that they are all separated," Harken said, ignoring him.

* * *

Simon closed the hatch after he and Evie came through. He helped Evie get her helmet off.

"That was fun!" she exclaimed.

"Shhh! Captain said once the coast was clear we should lay low in the shuttle," Simon cautioned. Evie looked at him indignantly. She was beginning to grow tired of everyone telling her what to do.

"Don't 'shh' me!" she whispered back. Simon rolled his eyes.

"Don't be a brat or else you'll get us both pinched," he whispered viciously.

"_Fei fei de pi yan,"_she muttered under her breath.

"I don't think the Captain will enjoy hearing that you're using language like that," Simon warned heading toward the shuttle.

"You wouldn't!" she called after him, then ran to catch up.

* * *

The soldiers were hustling him out as he watched one of them rush in and whisper in Harken's ear.

"It won't matter. You won't find him," Mal said as they were jostling him out the door. Harken slowly brought his eyes up to meet Mal's. "But I know where he'll go."

* * *

Simon steered Evie into the kitchen. Evie wouldn't stop arguing with him about not telling Mal anything. Annoyed he replied, "We don't know how long it's going to be. Once we're settled in the shuttle, I don't think we should move around much, I'll just grab a snack," he responded, trying to be reasonable.

Evie started to scream but couldn't get any sound out of her throat as the- whatever it was- came behind Simon.

* * *

Mal convinced Harken to allow him to lead the search for the boy. The passed by a dead officer as they went onto the ship. "Why would they come back here," Harken asked.

"Looking for familiar ground. He's on the hunt," Mal explained. Harken gestured for him to go first. "UH!" he said and gestured to his handcuffs. Harken unfastened the cuffs holding his wrists behind him and then refastened them in front of him. Mal stared at him, disbelievingly. "Thanks," he said sarcastically, "Now I'll really have the advantage."

Harken ignored him. "Open it," he ordered. One man pressed a button and the airlock opened and they stepped back onto Serenity.


	12. Chapter 12

Simon whirled and gasped at the man- thing. He had mutilated his face, flesh peeled back from his mouth, pins holding it in a permanent grimace. His first reaction was to shove and then use his body to shield Evie.

The boy fell back, and Simon grabbed Evie's arm and ran out of the room expecting the maniac to run after them, but curiously, it did not. Then Simon heard the footsteps approaching. "Someone's coming," he whispered.

* * *

Mal heard the scream and his heart clenched and he quickened his pace. He was more scared to walk in on a tiny mangled body than facing of with the man/Reaver.

Harken and his men looked around nervously, all of their guns drawn. Mal led them through the cargo bay, through the engine room and down into the dining area. He spotted a space suit helmet on the table and said a silent prayer to the God he didn't believe in. Then he saw the spilled cutlery all over the floor. Harken and Mal shared a nervous look.

Mal stepped up to the foredeck hall and tried to react as he nearly ran face to face with Simon. He and Evie were pressed very tightly up against a wall just around the corner. Harken was right behind him. Mal turned around to face him to keep him from taking another step and spotting the two.

The killer leaped out and slashed one of Harken's men. Harken turned. He slashed another of his men, blood flew everywhere. Harken went to draw his gun but fumbled it. Mal jumped behind him and threw his handcuff's around the deranged boy's neck. He snarled and snapped inches away from Harken, trying to get at him. Mal twisted a bit until he heard the "crack" of the boy's neck snapping. He dropped the body at their feet and looked at Harken whose face was spattered with blood.

* * *

Serenity detached from the Alliance Cruiser. Mal had Evie on his lap as the whole crew watched the cruiser get smaller and smaller. He didn't think he'd let her go for an entire month at this point.

"You save his gorramn life. And he still takes the cargo. _Hwoon dahn,"_ Jayne complained.

"Had to," Mal said. "Couldn't let us profit." He swung his chair around to face his crew. "Wouldn't be civilized."

"You wanna talk about 'civilized', you should hear what that _wan nao_ called me earlier," Simon quipped, leaning on the hull.

Evie managed to wiggled herself out of Mal's lap and punched him in the arm in a flash. "_Fei fei de pi yan!" _she exclaimed again. "Why would you tattle on me?"

Simon smirked at her, rubbing his arm.

"Language, little girl!" Mal chastened half-heartedly, barely containing his smile. Evie poked Simon in the ribs again and then ran back to Mal. He stood up and picked her up and brought her to his hip. "Past your bedtime," he said, as he was walking out.

"Aw!" she whined. "I almost got killed today. Again. I should be able to stay up a little longer!" she protested but leaned tiredly against Mal's shoulder.

Mal chuckled and held her close as he brought her to the storage room they'd cleaned out and converted to her bedroom. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Mal watched her, curled up all vulnerable like. He looked around the room. Kaylee had helped to girlify it a little but it was still missing something. Toys and the like. It wasn't a kid's room yet. He'd have to see to that.

He looked back at the tiny girl, sleeping peacefully, a fist curled next to her mouth. "I must be losing my gorramn mind," Mal whispered before he walked out.


	13. Chapter 13

**Warning: Spanking of a Minor in this chapter (only a few swats). Keep the reviews coming! They make me want to keep on it!**

Zoe stood behind Wash and leaned her hands on his shoulders as the familiar planet loomed into view. As they approached, the planet came between them and the system's sun. Zoe kissed Wash's cheek as they watched their version of a sunset. "Heard tell we're gonna stay a while, upwards of a week maybe," Zoe mentioned.

Wash whistled through his teeth. "Shiny."

Mal walked in and sullenly looked at the planet out the dash. "Well, ain't that a joyful sight?" he asked sarcastically.

"Gotta love a sunset," quipped Wash.

"Startin' to get familiar too. Like a second home," joked Zoe.

Mal's face hardened. "That planet is not home. Too many people we need to avoid. Resupply, look for work, move along. We sniff the air, we don't kiss the dirt," Mal said darkly.

"Wasn't planning on the dirt-kissing, Sir," Zoe said quickly.

Evie had wandered in and heard what Mal said but didn't note his tone. "Who we avoiding now?" she asked jauntily, then stopped dead as she saw Persephone looming ahead. She shot Mal an accusatory look.

"Now, now _bao bei_, don't go getting all up in some sort of a fit," he said, walking toward her.

She backed up, tears and hatred filling her eyes. "You said I didn't have to go back. You _lied_ to me," she spat at him and turned to run out.

Mal was extremely stressed about being on the planet and his patience was running thin. "Hold it!" he shouted but she continued down the foredeck. "I said, 'Hold it!', _xiao jie!_" She froze but didn't turn around. "Get your little _pi gu_ back here," he ordered, his voice cold as steel. She turned to face him and the look she gave him was so vicious, it set his blood to boiling.

"I said," he said, marching toward her, "get your butt over here!" He grabbed her then and gave her bottom a few warning swats. "And you promised to mind when I took you on, and neither one of us are gonna start telling fibs, understand?" She rubbed her bottom and stared at her feet. Mal tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at his eyes. "I promised you'd never go back to him. I make a promise, I keep it, _dong ma?_" She searched his eyes for a minute before ripping herself away from his grasp and running full tilt down the bridge and down the stairs.

"Fine!" Mal said. "Go to your-"

Evie slammed the door to her room. Mal scrubbed a hand over his face breathing out pure temper. "And stay there!" he shouted before going back to the flight deck to check on their approach.

"Planet's coming in a might fast," Zoe was saying as he walked in.

Wash had the steering wheel in tense hands. "Just means I'm going down too quick. Likely crash and kill us all."

"That happens, let me know," Mal said huffily as he walked back out the door and headed for the one place on the ship he could rant at and not feel judged.

* * *

Inara faced the Cortex screen scanning the photos of hopeful clients. She was glad to be on a planet where she could see some respectful people and it'd been a long time since she'd had a paying client. Suddenly someone chimed in and she was looking at Atherton Wing's handsome face. Inara smiled.

"Now there's the smile made of sunlight," he greeted.

"Atherton! How wonderful to see you," she greeted back.

"Did you get my message? I was extra appealing,' he said haughtily.

"Yesterday. I listened to yours first. What a flattering invitation. I had no idea I was arriving in time for the Social Event of the Season," was her response.

"So you'll join me, then?"

She heard the knock on her door. "Yes, I'm pleased to say that I'll be there. Now, I'm sorry, I have to run."

Mal walked in and, flustered, she punched the wrong button and Atherton's image froze on the screen.

"Good afternoon, Captain," she said curtly, annoyed at the interruption.

"Morning. We're downing, and if Wash doesn't kill us all we'll be there by 10 am." He looked at the Cortex screen and gestured at Atherton's frozen face. "Making plans?" Inara visibly tensed. Mal leaned in closer. "Atherton Wing. He's a regular ain't he?"

Inara rolled her eyes. "I've seen him before."

"Well, I never did. Not what I pictured. Young. Must be rich too, to afford your rates," Mal mused.

"I suppose. He has engaged me for several days," she said. Mal looked back to her.

"Days? Boy must have stamina," Mal joked bitterly.

"He does," Inara said curtly. Mal paused and tried unsuccessfully not to look stung. "What do you want Mal?" she asked, blushing.

Mal sat on the couch with a sigh. "Little critter driving me nuts." He related the events of the last half hour. "Maybe I was a might hard on her. But she just looked at me with such... hate."

"Oh Mal," said Inara, throwing an arm around his shoulders comfortingly. "You're just upset that the girl you've been taking care of like family for the last 3 months mistrusted you."

"Well you'd think she'd relax a little. Not like I mistreated the brat. I been good to her and it was like she snapped into the same kid that snuck into that smuggling hold in an instant," Mal said, frustratedly putting his head into his hands.

Inara looked at him, eyes compassionate. She waited until he met her gaze. "She couldn't trust the man she was supposed to trust the most for her entire life. You can't expect her to suddenly have an undying trust for any man that's nice to her."

"I knew I was in over my head when I took that bundle of trouble on board," Mal said defensively, sighing into his hands once again.

"You're doing a fine job, Malcolm," Inara reassured. "But you probably should have told her we were heading to the planet where her abusive father that she ran away from resided a bit sooner."

"Yeah, so I could have her throwing acting like this before we even got there?!" asked Mal, incredulous.

Inara took a patient breath. "Or..." she began. "You could have patiently explained the situation to her and made her feel safe about it and not gotten upset at all." Mal had started looking sheepish as he pondered her words.

"Trust goes both ways, Mal."


	14. Chapter 14

Mal waited until the ship docked before heading to Evie's room. Her name was spelled out on the door in some sort of frou-frou construction paper/glitter concoction Kaylee had helped her with. He knocked on the door.

"Go away!" Evie called, her voice strained behind the door. He could tell that she'd been crying.

Mal tried to open the door but found it locked. His temper flared but he let his guilt reign it in. "Open the door _bao bei_," he coaxed softly. He heard rustling behind the door.

"Why, so you can dump me on this _ri shao gou shi bing _planet?" she retorted stubbornly.

Mal let out an oath. "No one's dumping anyone anywhere. You're staying on this ship." He paused, listening, but didn't hear her stirring. "But this is _my_ ship and I'll not have anyone keeping me from anywhere on it, unless they're looking to wear my belt across their backside," warned Mal, trying to keep his tone patient but no longer wanting to take any sass.

He heard her move to the door and unlatch it. "_Pian zhi de jie cha yuan_," she muttered after she opened it and he stalked inside.

Mal ignored it. "Sit," he ordered, pointing to her bed and moving a stuffed animal out of the way to make room. She crossed her arms and looked at him defiantly but he shot her a look that had her butt parked next to him very quickly. There was an awkward silence as Mal sat with his elbows on his knees, his hands rubbing together and Evie just hugged herself.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you we were heading to Persephone," Mal said quickly, as if pushing the words out were so difficult he wanted to get it over as rapidly as possible.

Evie shot him an aghast look. She'd never heard Mal apologize before. "We need supplies and some paying work. But I promise, you'll be safe. If you think anyone on this crew would let anyone harm a hair on your head," he said and patted her hair, "you haven't been paying much attention lately."

She looked at him then, out of her peripheral vision but Mal didn't miss the hope in her eyes. He pulled her close and hugged her.

"Obviously, leaving the ship on this particular excursion will not be in your best interest," he said, nudging her before standing. "So stay put. Hang out with that other one hiding from this central planet," he joked, referring to Simon.

Evie smirked at him. He paused at her bedroom door.

"Else I'll make good on that 'belt' threat," he said before leaving.


	15. Chapter 15

Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Mal and Kaylee carried their supplies back to the Mule. The women eyed the storefronts, window shopping. Kaylee halted so quickly Zoe almost ran into her. She pointed to three live models behind the storefront glass, walking, showing off the gowns they were wearing. "Oh! Look "Look at the pretties!" Kaylee exclaimed.

Everyone stopped short and looked up. "What am I looking at, the girls or the clothes," Wash asked, ogling a little too long for Zoe's liking.

"The clothes, please," Zoe chided.

Jayne looked up and Mal was forced to stop. Kaylee pointed to one of them, pink and white, put together like a layer cake. "Say, look at the fluffy one."

Zoe shook her head. "Too much foofaraw. If I'm gonna wear a dress I want something with slink," she put in.

Wash looked at her and quickly said, "You want a slinky dress? I can buy you a slinky dress." He moved in front of Mal. "Captain, can I have money for a slinky dress?"

"I'll pitch in," Jayne offered.

Zoe shot Jayne a look. "I can hurt you."

"Only place I ever seen something so nice is some of the things Inara has," Kaylee commented.

"We'd best be movin'-" Mal began, wanting to change the subject.

"Guess she needs all that stuff, life she leads," Zoe interrupted.

"Well, sure. And sometimes the customers buy her things. She knows some real rich men-," Kaylee began.

"Come on," Mal said, getting frustrated. "T'aint feathers I'm toting here, you know."

Everyone ignored him. "I like the ruffles. Inara gets to wear whatever she-" Kaylee began but Mal's frustration finally snapped.

"What would you do in that rig? Flounce around the engine room? Be like a sheep walking on its hind legs!" he exclaimed. Jayne snorted immediately. Kaylee's face dropped and she got a hurt look on her face. Zoe shot Mal a hard look. She took the "heavy" burden Mal was holding.

"See you on the ship, Captain," she said coldly. She, Kayee and Wash headed toward the Mule.

"_Tee wuh du pi gu_," Mal crossed himself.

Jayne came up close to Mal. "She mad or something?" he asked.

A series of clicks sounded behind them. They turned and wound up face to face with Badger and three of his gang. The sound had been them cocking their guns. Mal nodded a polite greeting even though the man's cocky face had him seething. "Badger," he greeted through clenched teeth.

"Captain Reynolds. Heard you was in town. Thought we might have a bit of a sit-down," he greeted back.

"I'd prefer a bit of a "piss-off" answered Mal testily, remembering Evie's purple eye.

"I'm sorry, did I give you the impression I was asking?" Badger said with a cocked eyebrow.

* * *

Badger, Mal and Jayne sat around a cable-spool table, everyone looking uncomfortable. Badger poured some English tea. Jayne grabbed an hors d'eourve from a tray nearby.

"Seems to me, last time there was a chance for a little palaver, we were all manner of unwelcome..." Mal started, breaking the silence.

Jayne drank from the tea. "Not bad," he commented.

"There's a trick to it. Wood alcohol," answered Badger, ignoring Mal.

"Now, we're favored guests, treated to the finest beverages that make you blind. So what is it you need? And don't say the girl, because it's not happening," Mal continued firmly even as Badger's goons had guns pointed at them.

"How is the little poppet?" asked Badger, leaning in to look in closely at Mal. "Been breaking my heart be separated from the lil lass."

Jayne reached over Mal to pour more tea, coughing as he watched Mal seethe. Mal put a fist to his mouth, as if holding back words. Then he spoke, slowly, quietly, dangerously. "You best cope with that heartbreak and save the terms of endearments. I saw what you did to her face. I wouldn't let her back to you even if it's what she wanted, which she _don't_."

Badger smiled wryly and then mocked a hurt face. "Girl used to get into a lot of trouble. Fistfights and the like. Liar too. Bet you she's been telling you stories." He shook his head. "Kids, right? Quite the handful."

"You're about to get a handful of my fist in your face if you keep talking," Mal threatened icily.

Badger chuckled. "Relax, Daddy Reynolds. I'm not out for the girl just yet. I have a job opportunity for you."

Mal leveled another look at him. "You backed out of a deal, last time. Left us hanging."

"Hurt our feelings," Jayne put in, feeling a little vexed at the casual way Badger dismissed the way he mistreated the girl.

"I had a problem with your attitude, is why. You think you're better than people," Badger said, smile dropping from his face.

"Only the ones I'm better than," quipped Mal.

"You want to do business on Persephone, you do it through me. But if you're so well off you don't need it..." Badger taunted.


	16. Chapter 16

Mal entered the Engine Room where Kaylee was fiddling on something. "Kaylee," Mal beckoned. She didn't look up, continued to work on whatever she was working on. "Kaylee," Mal said, more firmly this time. Kaylee jumped a little at that tone. She knew that tone all too well. She kept herself from subconsciously putting a protective hand over her rear by continuing to manipulate the gears of the engine part she was fixing.

"I'm not speaking to you Cap'n," she said shakily, her falso bravado showing.

Mal closed his eyes and took a breath. "no need to speak... C'mon..." he said, shortly. He shot her a look when she didn't jump to follow him. "Got a job for you." She arched a curious brow and then started after his retreating body.

* * *

Atherton Wing ushered an elegantly dressed Inara into the ballroom, richly decorated. They were announced and they walked in. Inara waved at someone and then exchanged air kisses with another woman.

"Half the men wish you were on their arm tonight," Atherton stated.

"Only half? I must be losing my undefinable allure," laughed Inara.

"Not so undefinable. All of them wish you were in their bed," Atherton dismissed. Inara looked away, finding his words in bad taste. "Oh, she blushes," he said, considering her face. "Not many in your line of work do that. You, you are a singular woman and I find," he continued as Inara became more flustered, "I find I admire you more and more."

Inara stopped, looking more confused than touched. "I'm trying to give you something, you know. A life. If you want it." Inara tried to interrupt. "You can live here, on Persephone. As my personal Companion," he offered. Inara heaved in a breath.

"You are a generous man," she said.

"That's not a "yes"," he said, looking a little defeated.

"It's not a "no" either," she said back quickly before greeting another acquaintance. "You belong here, Inara," Atherton entreated. "Not on that flying piece of _gos se._"

"Atherton, language, please!" Inara chastised. He defended his position. Just then the porter announced the next set of guests: _Miss Kaywinnit Lee Frye and escort._ Inara swung so quickly she nearly fell. "Kaylee?" she asked no one in particular, disbelievingly.

Kaylee walked in with a look of awe on her face. She was wearing the dress that she had been admiring from the window but hours ago. Mal was on her arm, looking entirely out of place in his "Sunday best", a very nice coat that was SO three seasons ago.

"Oh _gos se_," she cursed.

* * *

Mal and Kaylee came in, Kaylee still awestruck, Mal looking around for his client. Kaylee's eyes fixed on something. "That him?" she asked, pointing. Mal looked in the direction she was pointing.

"That's the buffet table," Mal said, deadpan.

"Well," she said, rubbing her hands together excitedly, "How can we be sure? You know, unless we question it?"

Mal closed his eyes again. "Fine. Don't make yourself sick," he assented. He could rarely refuse her.

"_Sheh-sheh_, Captain!" she exclaimed and headed off in that direction. Mal was decidedly on his own.

* * *

Mal approached a heavyset man wearing a red sash. "Beg pardon, would you be Mr. Warrick Harrow?" he asked. The man looked perturbed.

"It's Sir Warrick Harrow," he corrected haughtily, gesturing to the sash. "It indicates 'Lordhood'."

"And it's doing a great job," Mal said, trying to salvage the conversation. The man moved a few steps away, dismissing Mal. "Sir, my name is Malcolm Reynolds. I captain a ship, name of Serenity. I mention this to you because I have been led to understand you want to move some property off-world..." he tapered and Atherton were dancing in the distance. Harrow noticed what he was paying attention to. "...some property off world, discreetly," he continued.

Harrow paused and took a closer look at Mal. "You're mistaken, Sir. I'm an honest man," he sniffed.

"Seems to me, there's nothing dishonest about getting your goods to people what need them," Mal tried.

"You're concerned about the poor. And yet, for what you're offering, you'd want money, I imagine," led Harrow.

"Well, Sir, I think you'll find that working with me is giving to the poor."

"Whom do you represent?"

"'Represent isn't exactly..." Mal began.

"Don't waste my time," Harrow interjected.

"Fellow called 'Badger'," Mal relented. Harrow sniffed.

"I know him. And I think he's a psychotic lowlife."

"And I think calling him that is an offense to the psychotic lowlife community, but the deal is solid," Mal snipped. He felt a touch at his arm. He turned to see Inara with Atherton. She wasn't smiling.

"Sorry to interrupt," began Atherton. "Sir Harrow, I know you from the club, I believe." Harrow nodded coolly. Inara looked resigned.

"Captain, this is Atherton Wing. Atherton, Captain Mal Reynolds," she introduced. The two sized each other up and shook hands.

"Pleased to meetcha," Mal said and then mocked a shocked face. "Inara, I didn't realize you were coming to _this_ party."

"It's the only party," she retorted icily.

"And I can see why, how 'bout that floating chandelier?" he quipped, but his eyes didn't miss Atherton putting his arm possessively in Inara's. He asked Mal how he came to be invited for the festivities. "Oh, I just love a party, I was just telling that to my friend here," Mal stated, patting Harrow's arm.

"I didn't realize you two were acquainted," said Atherton, surprised. Mal watched his hand creep up and encircle Inara's arm tensely.

Mal reacted quickly. "Ath, can I call you Ath? Inara has spoken to me of your great generosity. Given that, you wouldn't mind if I ask Inara for a dance?" Atherton tensed up and hesitated, then relented. Mal and Inara walked to the dance floor, Inara's face plainly showing her annoyance. Harrow made a comment about how brave Atherton was.

"I know what's mine," he answered snidely.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Inara hissed as the music began playing. Mal sloppily copied the dance moves of the other couples.

"Business, same as you. I was talking to a contact about a smuggle gig when _you_ came over to _me_," Mal pointed out.

They continued to bicker about both of their chosen modes of employment, Mal being critical of the farce of Inara and Atherton's relationship. She countered that he had made her an offer. He snarked at that but Inara spoke as if she was actually entertaining the idea. He sobered up. She changed the subject. "I see Kaylee is here."

"Girl was crying Cinderalla tears. Shoulda seen her when I said she could have that layer cake she's wearin'," Mal said and they both relaxed again. The dance was getting a bit more complicated and at one point Mal tripped over his own feet. He caught himself with his hands around her waist and he grinned at her. "Possible you were right before. This ain't my kind of party." She smiled.

Atherton was suddenly at Inara's side, grabbing her arm roughly. Mal's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Watch yourself there, no need for any hands-on," he warned. The guests all turned their eyes toward the public display.

"Excuse me, she's not here with you, Captain, she's mine."

"Yours? She don't belong to nobody."

"Money changed hands. Makes her mine tonight. And no matter how you dress her up, she's still a-."

Mal interrupted him with a square punch in the face. "Turns out this _is_ my kind of party, he joked. Inara sighed his name. "What? Man was outta line."

Atherton got to his feet. "I accept!" Someone announced that there had been a challenge. Mal looked excited and started rolling up his sleeves, ready for a fight. "The duel will be met tomorrow morning at Cadrie Pond."

"Why wait? Where's that guard? He collected a whole mess a' pistols-"

"If you should require it, any gentleman here can give you use of a sword."

Mal stopped dead in his tracks. "Use of a... s'what?"


	17. Chapter 17

**So I think I'm going to get away from following the story so closely after the finale to this "episode", it does sort of feel like cheating (but I'm still going to have events, characters, and some dialogue from the series. Please, read, review, give criticism- let me know if you have any ideas as to what could happen to Evie, what's going on with Simon (maybe how to bring River into it?) Thanks for reading and following everyone!**

Kaylee pushed through the crowd. "What's going on?" she asked when she got to her friends.

"Not rightly sure," Mal began then turned to Harrow. "What's going on?"

"Well first off, you'll be put up in lodgings so that you don't disappear in the middle of the night. I wouldn't blame you, incidentally. Wing may be a spoiled dandy, but he's an expert swordsman. He's killed dozens of men with a longblade, and you're the only one who ever gave him a reason."

Mal rubbed an irritated hand over his face. "This is a joke."

"And he'll need a second," Inara put in. Harrow volunteered for the job. "He fights if you refuse-" she explained.

"Inara!" Atherton called from where he was waiting impatiently. "Come here please." She hesitated.

Mal leaned into Harrow, "You takin' this on, being my second. Does that mean we're in business?"

Harrow chuckled. "It means you're in mortal danger. But you mussed up Atherton's face and that has endeared you to me somewhat. You might even give him a bit of fight before he kills you."

Atherton called to Inara again more viciously, this time she finally pulled her eyes off Mal and went to him. Mal watched her go.

"Up til the punching, it was a real good party," Kaylee said wistfully.

* * *

Jayne was doing pullups from under the catwalk in the cargo bay. Shepherd Book was sitting with a bored looking Evie, going over some math questions since Mal had insisted that she continue her book learning. She was half paying attention when her whole body tensed up and the color drained from her face. "Evie, dear, are you alright?" Then he looked in the direction she was gaping in. Book was on his feet in a flash, just as Jayne released his hold on the bar. Both of them moved protectively in front of Evie as Badger and his goons came strutting into the bay.

He paused in front of them and tucked his thumbs behind his lapels . "Your Captain's gone and got hisself in a lot of trouble."

Evie did the first thing that occurred to her. She bolted. She tried to run past him and out of the open airlock, tried evading him, but he snatched her up by her collar. "What's the matter little girl, not gonna say hello to dear old Dad?" he said as she struggled like a wildcat to get away from him, shouting for him to let her go. "Now, now, ain't nobody going no where for a spell."

Then he heard the unmistakeable sound of a shotgun being cocked. Jayne had it leveled right at his head. He cruelly pushed the girl back at the Preacher so that they both almost bowled over. "Relax ya big oaf. I'm here on business. Call the whole gang in here, we need to have a chat."

* * *

"A duel?" Book asked.

"Like, with swords?" asked Wash, incredulous. The entire crew had been assembled into the cargo bay. Simon was pacing and Book mused quietly, leaning against the hull while Wash and Zoe sat at the makeshift card table. Evie curled up in a corner sulkily and watched everyone warily. Simon reasoned that the Captain is a decent fighter, he must be able to handle a sword. Zoe shot that down right away. He then resolved that they had to get him out and Book asked where he was residing.

"Oh, this is embarrassing. Some of you seem to be misapprehended my purpose in being here," Badger said with a wry grin. Evie's eyes became as wide as saucers. "Pipe down, doll, don't have nothing to do with you either." She went back to hugging her knees and looking sullen.

Zoe stood up defensively. "You're here to make sure we don't do what these men are keen on doing," she said, realization dawning on her.

"Penny for the smart lady. Persephone's my home. I gotta do business here. I don't want it be known I brought someone in that caused this sorta ruckus. We'll just settle in here, wait til this blows over one way or another," Badger said, sitting down and resting his heels on the table.

* * *

Inara slipped out of Atherton's bed, down the hall and into Mal's room quietly. Mal has his back turned toward her and had his shirt sleeves rolled up and was practicing (if you could call it that) with a long sword. She made a noise behind him and startled him. The sword swung, hit the wall and embedded itself in the plaster. "What are you doing here?" he asked, tugging at the sword trying to be inconspicuous. He finally tugged the sword free and looked at her abashedly.

They had a rousing snippy conversation about Atherton and Inara being a kept woman. How Mal wasn't sure what he'd done was so wrong being as Atherton had insulted her. "Why'd this get so complicated?" he queried.

"Well it's about to get a lot simpler. There's a back door. I have the desk clerk on alert. He'll let us out," Inara grabbed his arm but he shrugged it off.

"I'm not running off." Inara looked at him, surprised. "No matter what you've got into your head, I didn't do this to prove some kinda point to you. I actually thought I was defending your honor. And I never back down from a fight."

"Yes you do! You do all of the time!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, ok! But I'm not backing down from this one!" he said back, frustrated.

"He's an expert swordsman, Mal. You had trouble with that wall," Inara quipped, gesturing where the sword had been sticking out minutes ago. She leaned in close to his face. "How will your death help me "honor"?"

"I'm looking to have it be his death. S'why I need lessons." He turned around and flipped the a second sword toward her which she caught expertly. "Figured you'd know how. Educated lady like you."

* * *

It was still a hostage situation inside Serenity's cargo bay. Wash was snoozing in the corner. Book read his bible quietly. Badger leaned against the wall, eating an apple and staring like a predator at his progeny who was sitting on the floor, close to Jayne's legs. The big man was rough around the edges, but out of the present company, she trusted him the most to protect her. He, Zoe, Simon and Kaylee sat around the little card table pretending to play a round. Kaylee had been brought back onto the ship by Badger's goons.

"..But he said not to do anything. He'll join us after he wins the duel." Kaylee put in.

"And what if he don't win?" Jayne said snidely. Evie bit her lip. Everyone looked morose.

"It doesn't hurt to have a contingency plan, Kaylee," Zoe reasoned. They began to try to formulate a plan.

"We need a diversion," Jayne said. "I say Zoe gets nekkid!"

"Nope." Wash said without even opening his eyes.

"I could get nekkid," Jayne offered.

"NO!" yelled Simon, Zoe, Wash, Kaylee and Evie at the same time.

"I don't see why we're going to even go after that _hun dan,"_ put in Evie angrily. Everyone stopped and shot her a puzzled look.

"Now what in the _di yu _has gotten into you, brat?" Jayne asked, nudging her a little with his boot. It had her shooting to her feet.

"Man thinks he's better than a man, then goes and works for him," she muttered, spiteful. "Who's worse a man, then?"

Zoe's face got a hard look to it and Wash came over and put a hand on her shoulder. Kaylee put her hands on her hips. "Now you see here you little..." she started defensively.

"Kaylee I don't think that's-" started in Simon, calmly.

"No one cares what you think, Doc, you never seem to catch on?" Evie was yelling now as he was trying to calm her with his outstretched hands. The last thing they needed was to draw attention to themselves. Book started to wander over. always the voice of reason.

"What's all the commotion, then?" Badger asked, wandering over. Evie whirled on him. He didn't tower over her like Mal or especially Jayne, but she knew he carried a mean backhand- a fact she seemed to forget in her anger.

"Nothing, I was just going to my room," she spat and tried to go around him.

He caught her arm in a vice-like grip and stared down at her with a smile that didn't touch his dangerous eyes. "Daddy didn't give you permission, _bao bei."_ In a flash, Book had his own vice-like grip on Badger's shoulder.

"Let her go. She'll keep out of trouble and it's not like she can go anywhere." It wasn't exactly a suggestion.

"I don't need your permission anymore you _chun zhu_," she said, eyes furious as she ripped her arm out of his grasp and walked purposefully toward her bunk. Everyone was quiet for a minute, soaking in all that just happened.

Badger broke it with a laugh. "As spunky as ever, I see, definitely my kid," he commented.

Jayne leaned in and whispered to Zoe. "Now that there, 'Xactly the kind of diversion we coulda used."


	18. Chapter 18

**Spanking of a minor in this chapter. Gonna branch off the beaten path a little bit after this chapter. Let me know what you want to see!**

Inara instructed Mal late into the evening. She invited him to attack her and he came at her and she swirled deftly out of the way. "Now how did I do that?"

"By being fast like a freak!" Mal exclaimed. She sighed and started criticizing and correcting his form, including how he needed to thrust with the point or swing from the elbow. He protested, saying that swinging from the shoulder felt stronger. She touched his arm lightly, adjusted his swing. It was almost intimate. She described that it was slower and that one didn't need strength as much as speed.

"We're fragile creatures. It takes less than a pound of pressure to cut skin," Inara described.

Mal turned and looked at her disbelievingly. "You _know_ that? They teach you that at the whore academy?"

Inara dropped her arm and turned her back to him. "You have a strange sense of nobility, Captain. You'll lay a man out for implying I'm a whore, but you keep calling me one to my face," she spat.

"I may not respect what you do for a living but he was disrespecting _you_. That's the difference, Inara." Inara spat back that she figured 'death' would be the answer for that. Mal complained that it was the rules of her society that caused the situation.

"Mal, you _always_ break the rules! It doesn't matter which "society" you're in! You don't get along with ordinary criminals either! That's why you're constantly in trouble! And your crew in danger. And now you have that little girl on board..." she drifted off.

"And you think following rules will buy you a nice life, even if the rules make you a slave!" he said frustrated, even though her words had sunk in. Inara turned away, tears filling her eyes. Mal looked down at the sword.

"Don't take his offer," he said quickly. Inara turned and looked at him quizzically. "Don't do it..." he hesitated. "Because... in that case, means he's the fella killed me. And I don't like fellas that killed me, not in general." He turned, continued to practice, not meeting her eye.

"I need to get back, he'll be up early," she said, turned to go.

"Right. He's got that big day," he said wryly, practicing the swing she had taught him.

* * *

Mal nervously waited next to Harrow at the grassy pond where the duel was set to take place. Atherton and his second waited nearby, talking and laughing easily. Inara was standing with them but her eyes were on Mal. He met her gaze.

The person who announced the original challenge stepped into the center. He raised his hands for quiet and then announced, "Let the duel begin." Mal barely realized that the duel had begun until Atherton stepped into the circle, his blade held out to him. Atherton swung, Mal easily parried. Then he thrust in the way Inara showed him and nicked his vest.

"Best be careful, Ath. Hear these things are sharp."

Harrow stepped over to Inara and they exchanged a look. "He thinks he's doing well, doesn't he?" Inara commented that he was being toyed with.

Mal ducked to avoid a blow and Atherton deflected his defense with a loud metallic sound. He then tossed the blade up in the air and caught it with his other hand, then reached out with it and nicked Mal on the arm. Mal reached down to the bloody rip in his shirt then went after Atherton, lunging one handed since his left hand was staunching his wound. Atherton put the blade behind his back. "Don't fall for that!" Inara whispered. Mal lunged and Atherton stepped to the side. As soon as Mal's body passed his, he sliced sideways with the blade and it penetrated Mal's side. Inara's face fell.

"Well, this isn't going to last long, is it?" Harrow scoffed. Atherton thrust again and Mal stumbled back clumsily. Mal lunged and Atherton stepped easily out of the way. Mal lunged again and Atherton repeated and simply laughed at him before slicing his defensive arm. "We're coming up on the end, miss. You might not want to watch," Harrow said politely to Inara.

Mal thrust and Atherton parried so hard that Mal's sword broke in half and he fell to one knee. Atherton brought the tip of his sword to Mal's chest.

"Atherton, Wait!" Inara interjected. "I'll stay here, exclusive to you, just spare his life."

This registered with Mal and he got a grim look on his face. Mal lunged to his feet and with the broken hilt of his sword, caught Atherton underneath the chin, sending his body flying to the ground. Before Atherton could regroup, Mal used his toe to launch Atherton's sword up into his hand and had it pointing at his heart in a flash. Harrow could see the hesitation in Mal's eyes and warned him that he had to finish it, or else Atherton would be named a coward. Inara told him that it was humiliation.

Mal pulled back the sword. "Having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood." He looked down at him reproachfully."Mercy is the mark of a great man."

Mal gave Atherton's shoulder a surface wound with the tip of the sword. "Guess I'm just a good man."

Mal stabbed him again, close to the same place. "Well, I'm alright."

He threw the sword away and Inara went to him to assess the damage.

Atherton slowly, painfully got to his feet as they were walking away. He called for Inara. She ignored him. He called out again, but Harrow put a hand to his shoulder and told him to give it up. He shook off the man's hand and staggered toward her, threatening. "You set this up, whore. After I bought and paid for you. I should have uglied you up so no one else'd want you."

Mal looked back then looked at Inara. "See? See how I'm not punching him? I think I've grown."

Atherton threatened more. He said she would starve and Inara turned to face him. She explained that he had earned a black mark in the client registry and that no Companion would ever see him again. Harrow scoffed that he'd have to rely on his winning personality for women, before catching up with them.

"You willing to fight that hard to protect my property, I'll have it in your hold before midnight," he told him. Mal nodded and shook his hand.

* * *

The next morning, Simon was whispering to Book and Jayne poured coffee for Kaylee, Wash and Zoe. Badger eyed them suspiciously. There'd been no sign of Evie that morning. Zoe had quietly checked to make sure she didn't slip out in the middle of the night and it looked as though she had fallen asleep in her sulking spot.

"Doc is filling the Shepherd in on the plan. We're ready to move on your signal. Doc's the diversion-" Jayne was whispering to Zoe.

"Have you ever seen such a lazy crew?" Mal interrupted loudly. Inara was helping hold him up.

Everyone exclaimed and ran to him. Simon noted that he was hurt. Then Mal spotted Badger. His eyes darted around for Evie and then narrowed menacingly. "What is that _chun zhu _doing on my ship and where is the girl?"

"Sulking in that room you made her. Funny, she called me the same thing earlier," Badger mused and Mal's eyebrows shot up at that, feeling a bit of pride.

"She's fine, Cap'n," Kaylee reassured.

"You get us a deal?" asked Badger.

"I got a deal. Now get off my ship," Mal said, his chest puffed out as much as possible considering his injuries. Badger heard all he needed to hear.

"Say goodbye to the little dove for me," Badger said as he sauntered out with much. "Ta very much for a lovely night."

The crew looked after him disgustedly then Book helped Inara push Mal into the chair. "We was just about to spring into action, Captain. A complicated escape and rescue op," Jayne assured.

"I was gonna watch. It was very exciting," Wash joked.

Mal looked around. "Speaking of the 'little dove'," Mal asked, mocking Badger's accent, "where is she? You'd think she'd come out old hiding once her old man was gone."

The crew all went awkwardly quiet. "Why don't we get you fixed up and we can fill you in," Simon goaded.

* * *

Simon bandaged up Mal's side with liquid skin and tended to the other cuts and scrapes on him and he was feeling nearly good as new, if not a little sore when he made his way the Evie's room. He'd had a long 48 hours and he ached for a warm meal and his bunk, but based on what his crew had told him he felt a might guilty that this was the second surprise he'd sprung on the girl, both involving the one man she had been trying to escape.

He knocked on her door and walked in, seeing her sprawled on her bed, stomach down, feet towards him, elbows propped up and head in her hands. Blatantly ignoring him. Mal smirked, leaned back against her door and cleared his throat. She huffed a little but didn't stir.

"I'm not in a habit of being ignored when I come in a room, little one," he said, but he kept his tone light, if his voice wasn't a little rough from his recent exertions. She turned her head slightly and then came to a sitting position on her bed, looking at her feet. Every few seconds she looked over at Mal. Mal heaved a sigh and came up to stand next to her. "Look kid, I've had a rough couple of days and I'm sorry at the way things went down, so if we could just hug it out and grab some lunch, that would be shiny." She sniffed at him. He put a hand on her shoulder, guilt slowly morphing into impatience. She slowly rose and he was relieved when she leaned into him for a hug.

Until she punched him squarely in the uninjured side. "Go to Hell_,"_ she cursed and stared angrily up at him.

"Oh, I'm going somewhere, alright, only you're comin' with me," he snarled and sat and tugged her over his lap and in one smooth motion, tugged down her workpants and began slapping her pantyclad bottom. He smacked over and over from one side to the other until her skin turned a rosy pink and then paused to put one leg over her wildly kicking legs. _My, but she is a wild one,_ he mused, determined to tame the hellion. "Now _we_ are _going _to figure out _what_ the _di yu _is going on in that _ben dan_ head of yours," Mal said, punctuating every other word with a new whack to her posterier.

"Let me go, you piece of _gosa_!" she shouted, her voice strained from the considerable pain in her rear.

Mal closed his eyes and cursed inwardly. Then he cursed outwardly. "Damn," was all he said and then commenced the terror on her backside until it turned a darker shade of red. She had stopped kicking and one fist pounded lightly on the bed as she tried to hold in her reaction. He continued until he felt her shudder slightly and knew she was sobbing lightly. "This about me taking work from Badger, is it?"

"You say he's all kinds of bad and then you go and take work from him. In my book that makes you a _gao yang zhong de gu yang,"_ she cursed between snivels and sobs.

Mal sighed and gave her two hard whacks. "You been on this ship long enough to know we take work from all manner of people and don't look too closely at their character. You're just upset because this particular bad guy was someone who hurt you." He paused. "We needed the work to keep Serenity flying."

She simply laid there, every once in a while contracting as a new sob wracked through her, but he could tell she was listening. Because he'd gotten her attention, he gently lifted her pants back up. "Now, I promised to protect you _bao bei_." She stiffened. He stood her up and then stood up as well. She stared at her shoes. "You're crew." She looked sharply up at that. Her eyes glinted and he caught the range of emotions behind her tears. "But you gotta trust me and do what I say. That's what I expect of my crew. Else you make it harder for me to do my job." He paused and her eyes searched his. "As Captain, that means I got the job of taking care of you, a job I don't take lightly." He waited for her to react.

She smiled a little bit, finally, accepting his words as truth. After a moment, she started to go in for a real hug, but Mal stopped her. "Now, now, that can wait a bit more," he chided, touched by her actions, but knowing he still had to do something he wasn't too keen on. He started unfastening his belt. "Go on and lay over that bed there," he said at her confused look.

"But Mal..." she started to protest.

"Do we have to revisit that whole conversation all over again, troublemaker?" he asked sharply. Resigned, she did as she was told, bending at the waist over the bed and grasping the sheets as if on for dear life. He doubled over his belt, tucking the buckle safely inside his right palm and pushed down on her back with his left hand. "Now, ya little imp, you punched me. Anyone on my _crew,_" he stressed the word again on purpose, "would get the same."

She coughed and joked, "Even Jayne?"

Mal barked out a laugh before he could contain himself. "Not likely, no. He'd probably get an ass-beating of a different sort," he said, then steeled himself. "You're gonna get ten and then you'll think twice before hitting me again." The first blow landed and she gripped the sheets hard and he heard her sharp watery intake of breath. He let the second one land a little lower than the first and the third one a little lower than that. He knew the girl wouldn't sit down comfortably for a spell.

_That's the whole point,_ he mused inwardly as he let the next few fly. Evie had given in and started crying audibly. "And ya ain't gonna be harmin' no one else on this ship neither, will you?" he asked sternly and she could only shake her head 'no'. He gave her the final swings and then let her cry loudly until she was cried out.

Mal felt more and more awkward as she quieted until she was merely sniffling on the bed, so he drew her up with ease. Once she was standing, she surprised him by clinging to his middle in a strong embrace. "Careful now," he coughed. "I got me an injury today." She looked at him with worried eyes and his face softened. "Don't worry, I'll live," he dismissed. She smiled again and put her face against his abdomen. He gingerly returned the embrace, still feeling a bit awkward.

"Heard you gave Badger some hell today," he commented, offhandedly. She said she had, matter-of-factly, though her eyes were beaming. "Took a lot of guts to do that," he commented and laughed again softly at the delighted look at her face and squeezed her a bit harder. "Also heard you haven't eaten nothin' today?" he said, arching an eyebrow. She shook her head, wordlessly. He tsk'd her playfully. "Reckon you're ready for some supper?"

She finally let go of him and wiped at her face."I reckon," she said, pulling herself together and trying to sound like an adult again.

_Don't grow up too quick, little xiao jie. _Mal shot her a wry smile, hitched her on his hip, paying mind to his injury and her sore bottom. "C'mon, I'm starved."

* * *

Mal and Inara sat on the balcony over the cargo bay drinking wine out of dinged up steel glasses. Inara winced at her first taste. Mal decided to toast to Kaylee's inter-engine fermentation system, but then winced. "Are you in pain?" asked Inara.

"Absolutely. I got stabbed, you know. Right here," he pointed at his side.

"I saw," she joked.

"And tusslin' with that rugrat didn't help none..." he trailed off. "Anyway, don't care much for fancy parties. Too rough."

"It wasn't entirely a disaster."

"I got stabbed! Right here!" he said, pointing to his wound again. She laughed and pointed out that he'd lined up exciting new crime. Mal scoffed that now they'd be a target for every other scavenger out there. Inara waited a beat and then thanked him again for the high-handed, ill conceived attempt to defend her honor. "Gracious as that is, as I look back, I probably shoulda stayed outta your world," he remarked.

Inara looked around at Serenity. "My world. If it is that." She looked at Mal. "I wasn't going to stay, you know..." Mal looked at her imploringly. She looked around again. "Oh... someone needs to keep Kaylee out of trouble. And help you deal with that 'rugrat' as you call her. And all of my things are here... Besides, who would want to leave Serenity?" she said, gesturing to what was in the cargo hold.

It was Harrow's cargo: the bay was full of a heard of cattle milling about and mooing.

"Can't think of a reason," said Mal, looking at the animals.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I know I said I'd veer off the beaten path and I will in the next chapter, but I still follow the same basic story. As Sylvia Andrews suggested, I think I'll do Our Mrs. Reynolds next as I have some good plans for that. Please read/review/criticize!**

* * *

** 3 weeks later- Planet Jiangyin**

Jayne was herding the cows down the ramp and Book directed them into a makeshift pen. "Hope this corral's strong enough to hold them. "Shepherd" is a purely figurative title, you know," he joked, making Evie laugh. She was standing on the first rung of the pen watching the process.

"You get down from there, _wan nao_, 'fore you get hurt," Mal called as he came down the ramp.

"Ah, stop being such a hoverer. Let 'er fall on her head a few times. She'll learn. S'how I did," Jayne remarked.

"It shows," said Mal, yelling at Evie again. "Get your little _pi gu _down from that fence, I'm not in the habit of giving orders twice!" She grudgingly did as she was told and shot him a sassy look and Mal was torn between annoyance and amusement.

Zoe and Wash followed him, sidestepping large cow patties. "Next time we smuggle stock, let's make it something smaller," Zoe suggested.

"Yeah, we need to start dealing in those black-market beagles," joked Wash.

Simon wiped some dung off his shoe with a stick. Mal grabbed his arm in a comradely way and headed toward where Evie stood, watching, arms folded, with a look in her eyes that told Mal she was fixing to cause trouble. He had a feeling he didn't want her around for the business that was to take place. "Say, Doc? Why don't you make yourself useful and take the brat for a walk."

"Useful? I'm the ship's medic and you don't think I'm useful? Why couldn't I help around here? With the cows?" Simon asked, not wanting to be on babysitting duty.

"Cow's start complainin' about heart palpitations, I'll give you a call. Until then, not much use for a Doctor," Mal answered as they approached the girl who whirled on them and said defensively that she wasn't on the fence anymore. Simon looked back at Book.

"But there's use for a Preacher?" Simon quizzed. Mal was about to repeat his missive on not giving orders twice when Kaylee came strolling up.

"C'mon Simon, it'll be fun. There's a nice little supply store in town that we can visit," she said, tugging on his arm.

"See that? Here," he pressed a few coins in Simon's palm. "Buy the kid some candy or something." Kaylee looked at him hopefully. "And the big kid, too." Kaylee giggled and grabbed Evie's hand, the girl apparently losing interest in the cows quickly at the mention of sweets. Mal patted Evie's bottom gently, affectionate, but also in warning. "You mind Kaylee and Simon, ya hear? Do whatever they say. Don't haveta tell you what you would have coming otherwise, right?" Evie rolled her eyes and started walking, Kaylee in tow. Simon sighed and followed after them. "You go to the shop and then you come right back, nowhere's else. Don't know much about this _yong chwen mien _planet and don't ya make me come find you!" he called after their retreating bodies.

* * *

It was a small shop, mostly catering to the ranching trade. There was feed for livestock and branding irons and horseshoes. Some local crafts. No candy in sight. "_Ta me da! _This store has nothing good," exclaimed Evie, throwing her hands in the air.

"Language," Simon admonished half-heartedly.

Kaylee was browsing amongst the crudely made items. She picked up an ornately decorated plate and commented that it looked nice. Simon beckoned for her to hand it to him. "'Jiangyin, Prairie Paradise'," he read. "Good god. They ask money for this?"

Kaylee blushed a little. "I'm glad you're out. Give you a chance to loosen up. You never seem to have any fun," she commented, smiling. Simon tensed. "Fun? Right. I consider this "fun". It's "fun" being forced to the ass-end of the galaxy, get to live on a piece of _le-suh_ wreck and eat molded protein while playing nursemaid to an adolescent terror. Fun." He put the plate down firmly.

"Hey! I heard that!" called Evie, holding a wood carving of some bird at the other end of the store.

Kaylee's face went hard. "Serenity ain't _le suh,_" she said firmly, offended.

"I didn't mean..." Simon began, backtracking.

"You did," Kaylee interrupted. "You meant everything you just said." Simon continued to try to backtrack. "You were being mean, is what. And if that's what you think of this life, then you can't think much of them that choose it, can you?" Simon stumbled over his words in trying to formulate some sort of explanation but Kaylee just went to leave. "Evie, stay with Simon."

Evie set the carving down quickly. "No way! Don't wanna be around someone who thinks I'm an 'adolescent terror'. Where ya goin?" she asked, exiting with her. Kaylee was marching with a purposefully.

"The tavern."

Evie stopped. "But Mal said not to-"

"Well go back to the ship yerself then," she said huffily. Kaylee had never spoken to Evie like that and it stung. But since she didn't know her way back to the ship, she ran to catch up.

* * *

"This is the last time with cows," Mal mused, surveying the cow patties all over his ship. Zoe approached him. "Heard there was some idea regarding beagles. They got smallish droppings?"

"I believe so, Sir. Also, the disreputable men are here."

Mal turned to see two shabby cowboy looking men standing near the pen, with Book and Jayne watching them intently. "Better go take their money," he said as he strolled over to them. He greeted them as they inspected the cows more closely. They began trying to haggle the price.

Suddenly, there was a noise. The men spun, hands down near their guns as if they were going to draw. Book leaned in close to Mal. "They seem a mite jumpy to you?" Mal watched them and considered.

* * *

Simon sighed and walked out into a clearing where townsfolk were having some sort of festival. There was music and dancing and it was slowly helping to clear up his foul mood. He felt himself smile as he watched them circle and shuffle and move their feet in a complicated jig. Then, everything went black as a bag was thrown over his head.

* * *

"S'not the purtiest ship on the planet, but ain't garbage," Kaylee slurred for the 5th time as she chased another shot down with some beer. She motioned for the bartender to pour another.

"Make that two," Evie said, trying to look as adult as possible. The bartender scoffed at her. Annoyed, Evie turned back to her water and took a sip. "I wouldn't listen to that prissy pants, anyway. What does he know?"

"Sucha handsome prishy panz, though," Kaylee mused drunkenly, calling him handsome for the umpteenth time.

Evie rolled her eyes, well past bored with the situation. She stood from the bar stool. "I have to use the bathroom," she said. Kaylee continued to ramble as if Evie hadn't even spoken. Evie rolled her eyes again and made a disgusted sound and ventured to locate the facilities in the shabby bar. She headed toward the back and turned a corner, spotting the door indicating the ladies' room. Then a hand snaked around her from behind, covering her mouth and drawing her close, other hand encircling her midriff and lifting her off her feet dragging her whimpering and struggling body out of the back exit.

* * *

Mal negotiated a price that suited everybody after they banged their heads together for a few more minutes. One of the men took out a pouch full of coins and commenced counting it out when a voice rang out:

"Marcus and Nathaniel Grange!" Everyone turned to see a handful of policemen, guns leveled at the group. "You are both wanted in connection to the illegal killing of Rance Durban. You are bound by law to stand down!" The officers disarmed all of the men and put their firearms in a neat pile on the ground. They begin frisking the men.

The younger of the criminals lunged at the officer who was patting down his body and got his gun out of his holster, turned to shoot the cop, then a loud BANG sounded. Zoe had shot the gun out of his hand. The older of the two pulled a gun he'd concealed on his person and opened fire. Jayne and Mal hit the ground.

"It never goes smooth. How come it never goes smooth?" asked Mal. Then he spied the bag of coins in the dirt. He grabbed it, then rolled, barely avoiding a bullet. Bullets were flying every which way and the Grange brothers made a break for it, hiding amongst the herd. There was chaos as the cops fired into the cows. Zoe indicated to Mal where the brothers were, able to see them from her vantage point on the ramp. Mal and Jayne began closing in on them. The brothers were too caught up in their firefight with the cops to notice them sneaking up on them. Mal jumped onto the elder brother from behind and Jayne managed to get the younger, injured felon to the ground.

The police swarmed in and took the brothers into custody. Mal looked around him and cursed when he saw Book laying on the ground. Mal and Jayne ran over to him. His shirt was covered in blood. He looked at Mal as if in a daze. Mal pressed on the wound, trying to stave off the bleeding.

"'Fraid I might be needing a preacher," Book said hoarsely.

"That's good. You just lie there and be ironical," Mal said. "Stretcher," he ordered Jayne. Zoe came down to help. They loaded his body on the backboard and brought him on the ship and to the infirmary. "Where is that _sha gua_ Doctor when you need 'im," muttered Mal. "Gotta stop this bleeding," he said to Zoe.

Just then, Kaylee's slurred voice rang out from the cargo bay. "Where'n hell is everbody?" Jayne called out to her and she stumbled into the medic room. "Whaz goin' on?" she asked, eyes heavy-lidded with drink. She stopped, seeing the preacher, her eyes going wide as realization slowly dawned on her.

"Kaylee, great! You're here-where's the doc?" Mal asked, looking up briefly, then did a double take. "Are you drunk?" he asked dubiously. Kaylee just remained silent as she stared at Book's bleeding body. Mal communicated something to Zoe with a look and she took control of applying pressure to the wound. Mal walked over and took Kaylee by the shoulders. "Drunk or no, it may be apparent that we need a doctor right about now so I need you to speak to me and try to keep the slurring to a minimum. Where. Is. Simon?"

Kaylee slowly met his eyes, hers watering a bit, obviously sobering up somewhat in the last few seconds. "Had a fight. Left him at the store," she admitted softly.

Mal's hands tightened on her shoulders. "You left him at the..." He sucked a deep breath in. "What about the girl? Where is she?" Kaylee hesitated and he shook her briefly.

"She was there 'n then she wasn't," she whispered, looking down, feeling ashamed. "Thought she came back to the ship on 'er own."

"Let me get this straight," Mal said as he licked his lips and pointed a finger close to her face. "You an' the Doctor got into a spat, so you decided to get hammered and lose a kid?" She looked up at him sheepishly. Normally her puppy dog eyes melted his heart quite rapidly, but right now he had a dying preacher, a drunk mechanic and a missing Doctor and a kid. He pushed her back lightly, barely containing his frustration.

He punched intercom. "Wash! Get down to the infirmary! _Ma-Shong!_"

He turned to face Kaylee and she backed up a few more steps at the look on his face. "You been a lot of things on my ship. Irresponsible ain't ever been one of 'em," he said with a no-nonsense look. "And I'm gonna make sure it ain't ever again, but right now I'm a little preoccupied." His eyes glinted in his fury. "Get to your bunk. Sober up," he ordered and turned his back on her to tend to the Shepherd.

Wash appeared then as a crying Kaylee exited the infirmary. He stared off after her, confused then looked inside and froze. "_Lao-tyen, boo,"_ he breathed.

"Wash, I need you to go into town and see if you find the Doctor and the kid," Mal ordered. "And hurry."


	20. Chapter 20

Mal and Zoe tried to patch Book up as best as they could utilizing their experiences patching others, each other, and themselves in the war. Kaylee, who had sobered sufficiently and was pacing about the cargo bay, not being able to stand the confinement of her bunk, heard the mule's motor approaching. "They're back, the Doctor's back!" she called.

Mal appeared from the infirmary and his stern look at her not following his express order disappeared as Wash drove up. Alone. Wash climbed off the Mule and at the look on both of their faces he informed, "Weren't in town. Weren't anywhere."

"They was in town," Kaylee protested. "Last I left 'em. I can show you!"

"We don't want to go there, _mei-mei, _now do we?" Mal warned and Wash assured that the town wasn't that big, he'd have run into them.

"You don't think they were arrested, do you?" Inara asked from the upper bridge leading to her shuttle. She'd come out, hearing the commotion.

Wash made a face and scratched his neck anxiously. "Worse than that. Looks like maybe they got snatched." Everyone looked at each other shocked. Wash explained that the posted alerts in the sheriff's office showed that settlers up in the hills take people sometimes- people with certain skills.

"And now they got themselves a doctor," Mal finished, realization dawning on him. Then he turned and muttered under his breath so as not to scare the others, "Now what do they want with a 10 year old kid?"

* * *

Simon was forced to march through some backwoods. He kept looking back in the direction they had dragged him, but he wasn't sure. They had only taken the burlap sack off his head minutes ago and he'd lost his bearings. They came upon a clearing. It was a dingy community full of wooden shacks crudely put together. A few people with weathered dirty faces looked at him from in front of them tending to chores. The man grabbed Simon's arm and threw him into the clearing announcing that they got a real bonafide doctor! People began crowding out, faces looking relieved.

The man began to push him toward a shanty and opened the door. Simon found it difficult to see inside the dark hut. "Am I in prison?" he asked but then heard coughing and moaning.

"It's the sickhouse..." the man announced. He called for a woman named Doralee. A young black woman with big kind eyes emerged. She praised the Lord and took him by the shoulders. The big guy who'd been manhandling Simon instructed Doralee to show him what's what.

Simon's concerned eyes scanned the room and he asked if there'd been an epidemic of sorts. Doralee explained that they had needed a legitimate doctor for 3 years now. "So stealing one was your best option?" Simon scoffed, but already began going to some of the patients and checking their vitals, enveloping 'Doctor-mode' automatically. Doralee explained that they took her when they needed a teacher. He shook his head at that and went to the next patient.

He hoped Mal got him out of there soon, he wasn't sure these people were exactly sane.

* * *

2 Days later:

Simon had treated nearly every patient in the sickhouse. Those that did not have to remain until they regained their full vitality had already left. Doralee came in and commented on his progress. "Place like this might be good for you. Quiet, safe, folks that take care of each other."

"Yes, it seems like a lovely group of kidnappers," Simon scoffed, wiping his hands with antiseptic.

"The Lord says "judge not," said Doralee disapprovingly. Simon protested that they took him off the street. "Life sometimes takes you places you weren't expecting to go."

"Life didn't bring me here, those men did," he said, growing huffy.

"You were on a transport ship, right? Takin' a journey? In my findings, journeys end when and where they want to. And that's when you end up home," she theorized.

"This isn't my home," Simon said, stiffening.

"Then where is it?" she asked, hands on hips. Simon paused, considering this.

Then, the door smashed open and Mal came in the room, gun drawn, Zoe and Jayne hot on his heels. "Y'all took some things that belong to me and I want 'em back," he said, calm, but with wary eyes darting around the room. Simon visibly breathed a sigh of relief as Doralee cowered with her hands up high. Mal continued to look around. "Where's the girl, Doc?"

"What girl?" asked Simon, already beginning to collect his things.

"That _wu ming shao zu _we been carrying on Serenity these last few months?" Mal said, exasperated.

Simon looked at Doralee. "Kidnapping children as well?" he asked. Her eyes simply went wide and she shook her head and shrugged as if she hadn't a clue what he was talking about. "_Ai ya, huai le! _Well if she ain't with you where in the hell is she?"

* * *

Evie went to stand but felt Chet's heavy hand on her shoulder. "I have to go to the bathroom," she whined at the giant goon.

Boulder, sitting across from her, sneered close to her face. "The last two times you 'had to go to the bathroom,'" he mimicked a high pitched whine,  
"You tried to take out Jesse in the cockpit and send a wave to that _she tou_ captain of yours."

She lifted her bound wrists. "Well I won't be able that, _now_. What did you expect, anyway, for me to go along willingly? Good ol' Da never even liked having  
me around, why's he so gung ho to have me home now?"

"I follow orders, I don't ask questions," Boulder said dismissively.

"Right, that'd mean you'd actually have to think for yourself for once," she mumbled and leaned back against the hull of the Wren-class Light Transport. Boulder's eyes glinted steel in her direction as he narrowed them at her and then suddenly punched the wall near the right side of her head. A warning, she knew. They may have orders to bring her back alive, but she highly doubted that her father took the pains to direct that she be unharmed.

"Maybe he finally found a use fer ya," Chet quipped next to her, cleaning the dirt underneath his fingernails with a large knife. The weapon was also a warning, since he'd told her as much after dragging her back from the cockpit unceremoniously and binding her wrists roughly.

She narrowed her eyes and looked between the two men, hoping for some hint as to what that use might be. "Something tells me it's not because he missed me,"she stated. Chet chuckled but Boulder just met her gaze.

Ironically, Boulder was the smaller of her father's two thugs, shorter than Chet, but just as stocky. Both of these men would give Jayne a run for his money, though in the end Evie hoped that the rough mercenary would kick both of their butts.

Assuming they were coming after her. How would they even know where to look? She hadn't been able to leave any sort of clues as to who was able to nab her and her attempts to send any sort of communication only ended up with her getting her ears boxed.

Things weren't looking so good for her, she knew.

* * *

"What'd we find out?" Mal asked, strolling into the cockpit and putting a hand on Wash's shoulder while peering over it.

"Well as you can imagine, not much traffic out this way," Wash began and then pulled up a screen. "A Wren docked here the same day we did and then left the same day."

"A Wren? That mean it can't be goin' far," Mal said, surprised.

"Well you'd be surprised, they're itty bitty but pretty self-reliant. Could make it week and a half, two even if ya take care of her," Wash reasoned and Mal ran a hand over his face.

"So much for narrowing that down."

"MAL! When we getti'n off this stinking rock?" Jayne shouted from the cargo bay. "I got me some loot that needs to be spent at better establishments than that ruttin' shack they call a pub!"

Mal rolled his eyes and stormed out to the bridge. "We're not leaving without the kid so _ju kou_!" he shouted as he headed for the infirmary. He stopped short as it was empty.

Simon's voice came from behind him. "I moved him to his room. You guys did a great job patching him up. He's healing nicely." Mal said that was good to know. There was an awkward pause.

"Where's Kaylee at?" Mal asked to punctuate it.

"Ah yes, justice needs to be meted out," Simon quipped.

"You got a problem with how I discipline my crew?" asked Mal testily.

Simon rubbed his upper arm and shrugged. "I happen to think corporal punishment was archaic back on Earth-that-Was, much moreso now," he stated.

"Well it's a good thing I hired you for doctorin'. Maybe you can doctor up Kaylee's _pi gu_ after I'm done with it." Simon winced at that. "Way I see it, it was something you said that started this whole mess, so best be keepin' your words to yourself before they get you in trouble too." Simon wore a shocked expression as Mal stalked away.

Jayne met up with him at the end of the hall. "You don't think Badger's gonna be itchin' for his share? Might not want to piss him off after how it went last time," he reasoned.

"I don't give a good gorram about Badger at the..." Mal trailed off, thinking. Then he ran for the cockpit again. "Wash! We have any contacts on Persephone that can tell us if a Wren, possibly registered to our friend Badger, left town in the last week?!" he yelled, running up the stairs, all else forgotten.

* * *

Chet had her shirt in a fist and was pushing her through the empty cargo carriers that served as places of business here. She knew where they were taking her and a sense of dread encompassed her. She started to drag her feet and struggle, but Chet simply tugged up on the back of her fiery mane, nearly lifting her up by it.

They approached the door for Badger's office and knocked. He asked who it was and Boulder answered in a gruff voice. Badger's voice sounded sweet as honey as he invited them in. Once inside, she made a move to break free of Chet's grasp at the same time that the big man let her go so she lost her balance and fell to her knees before the desk, her palms keeping her face from hitting the ground. She stared at him warily from under her lashes as he stood and walked around his desk to plant his feet right in front of her face.

He bent down and grasped the girl's arm, helping her tiny body up so that she was standing on her feet. "Little dove," he said, caressing her hair, his green eyes, so much like hers except with an evil glint to them, belying the gentle action. "It's been so long. I've missed you." He walked back to his desk and picked up a teacake and turned and grabbed her wrist to deposit it into her hand.

"What do you want, Badger?" she asked, squeezing the cake into crumbs, tired of the fake routine. His brows shot up.

"'Badger' is it? No respect for your dad, then?" he said with a chuckle.

"Maybe if he were deserving of respect," she uttered. Badger's eyes got harder and he glanced at his men who seemed to be shocked at the way she was talking to them. He chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment.

"Little girl went and got herself a set. You could always call me what you did on that _le suh_ ship, but y'ain't got your friends to make you feel big now do, ya?" he said, smirking.

"You mean a _chun zhu [retarded pig]_?" she challenged.

His eyes squinted even harder and his voice had an edge to it when he simply said, "Yeah." He then punctuated it with a backhand that sent her sprawling on the floor and then turned and walked back to his desk to sit down. "Well, I'd hoped your homecoming could've been more... pleasant. But alas..." He then ordered Boulder to 'put her in the room'.

She remembered constantly being locked this room all to well. It was a simple offshoot to Badger's office, a tiny room, hardly bigger than a closet. There was only a simple pallet on the floor and one dim light. The entrance was behind Badger's desk to the left so he could easily monitor the sounds she was making in case she was having a tantrum or trying to escape. Boulder pushed her roughly into the room and she heard the lock click from the outside. She kicked the door once, even though she knew it was fruitless.

"Now you stay in your room until you can behave like a good little girl."


	21. Chapter 21

**Last chapter, so it's kind of long. Enjoy and let me know if I should do the sequel!  
**

Malcolm decided to go into Badger's alone. He didn't want to put them on the defensive right away and Mal knew from experience that nearly every person in that place would be armed. Two goons flanked him as they approached his den. Badger didn't get up when Mal strutted in. "Malcolm Reynolds. You got here fast. Weren't expecting you for another day or two yet."

"Yeah well, we had a reason to speed it up," he said, putting his hands to his hips and surveying the room. "Where is she?"

"Who's that?" asked Badger, innocently. Mal ground his teeth. "Oh, you mean _my _daughter, well never you mind with that. How bout my cut, where's that?" asked Badger, changing the subject. Mal tossed a pouch full of platinum coins onto his desk. Badger picked it up, opened it and beamed from ear to ear. "Now, how bout your cut?" he says. Mal looked at him, confused. "Well, you want the kid so bad, why don't you buy her back from me? I say, your cut of the Harrow gig, plus 15% of any gigs you do on any central planet whether it's through me or not."

Mal looked at him like he's insane now. "Now, now, Badger, there's no way I can cut that deal and keep my ship flying."

"Well then I guess it's no deal," said Badger tersely. Then, "I have something you want. Should have to buy it fair and square."

Mal lost his temper and finally raised his voice, "She's just a kid, not something to be bought or sold!" All of a sudden there was a banging and yelling behind a closet door next to Badger as Evie had finally recognized the voice yelling in Badger's office. Badger rose and calmly walked over to the closet door.

"She's _my_ kid. I'll do what I like." Then he kicked the door several times as if trying to quiet a rowdy dog that was locked up in there. The girl stopped beating on the door. Mal clenched his teeth so hard he was afraid they could break.

"I have to talk to my crew," Mal said, somewhat resigned.

"Do what you have to, but no funny business. I own this planet, remember?" Badger said, pleased with the idea that Mal has to walk out of his den with his tail between his legs once again.

Mal looked forlorn. "Lemme see her," he asked gruffly. "I want to know that she's ok."

Badger sniffed once, considering. Then he unlocked the door and opened it and Evie nearly toppled out as she had been listening at the door. He plucked her up and she started to try to escape his clutches, but he held fast. "Mal!" she croaked, tears clogging her throat at seeing his face.

"It's alright _bao bei_," he reassured. "We'll get you out-" Then his gaze turned red. "What happened to 'er face?!" Badger shoveled her back into the closet in spite of her struggling against him.

"Miscommunication," he answered.

Mal turned to leave muttering something about how 'he's going to pay for that'.

"It's you who's gonna do the paying, you wanna keep her around. If not, I got other uses for 'er," he warned at Mal's retreating body.

* * *

"So he wants to sell her, like she's a-" Book began, then looked fleetingly at Inara and finished, "-slave?" They were all huddled in the mess hall, Mal dropping the news on them.

"But she's okay, right? She looks okay?" asked Kaylee, worried.

"They already knocked her around some, unfortunately. She's tough though." He looked at the young mechanic. "Not that it gets you out of any hot water, Kaylee, but you did a good job re-rigging that engine so that we could get here faster. Worried that the longer she's in there the worse off she'll be." Kaylee smiled an anxious smile.

"Not that I miss the little bugger, but there's not enough of us that we can't go in and get her?" asked Jayne.

"Wouldn't work out too well for us. Place is pretty heavily fortified and even if we were successful, wouldn't get anymore paying gigs off this planet—honest or otherwise," answered Zoe.

"And we can't afford to pay what he's asking?" queried Simon.

"Even if we could, what could stop him from grabbing her again some other time?" Wash asked. Frustrated, Mal swept his tin coffee cup off the table. Book walked over to him and put a calming hand on his shoulder. He looked up at him, surprised.

"I think... I may have an idea. But I'm not sure you're going to like it very much," he said.

* * *

The following morning, Badger had still not let Evie out of the closet. She was beginning to wish that she hadn't crumbled that teacake and she was starting to worry that she was going to have to use the bathroom in the bucket in the corner. She heard a loud ruckus and quite a bit of yelling and Badger began cursing at the noise. "Aw, what is it now?!" he exclaimed.

Then she heard the door to his office burst open. "Walter Badgley, you are hereby under arrest pending investigation for child abuse and neglect," an official sounding voice boomed. She heard her father cursing before the door to where she was was pulled open and Mal stood in it. She ran to him and he scooped her up and she squinted against the light of the office- not that there was much but comparative to the small prison-room it was very bright. She put a hand to her face and made out an Alliance officer handcuffing a very flustered Badger and Book standing and looking on, pleased with the show.

"Mal, how did you do this?" asked Evie in wonderment.

"Well, little one, seems Book has been keeping a few secrets of his own 'n knows a few people in high places," he said cheerfully as he watched Badger get more and more red, threatening anyone and everyone.

"Aren't you afraid he'll rat on you?" asked Evie.

"And further incriminate himself? Nah. He may be _mi tian gong _but he ain't stupid. There's a reason we only got him on the heinous crimes we didn't participate in. Unfortunately, he probably won't be in jail long, but with the help of Book here, we're going to make sure this can't happen again." He set her down next to the shepherd then wandered over to where Badger was slowly calming down.

"Hey uh, Badger? Remember when I said 'Wheel never stops turning?'" Badger spat at him that he was ruined. "I imagine that your attitude will change a bit when you're not so steamin' mad. But hey, do you remember what you said back to me that time?" Badger gave him a death stare. "That that only matters to people on the-," then his voice strained as he punched him right on the bridge of his nose, "_rim!_" Badger's nose immediately gushed blood that he couldn't wipe away being that he was handcuffed.

One of the Alliance soldiers stepped between him and Mal, but Mal just simply raised his hands and backed away. "No worries, officer. I got what I needed. A black eye for a black eye... or two," he gestured at Evie's face and the Alliance officer let out a small nod of approval.

Evie came to his side and he pulled her close. "Can we go back to the ship now?"

"Actually, Evie, there's some things we have to take care of first," Book said and then nodded someone over. Evie's face sank. It was a prim young woman in a business suit, dark hair pulled back, a face she tried to school to look friendly but couldn't quite get the edge out of it. She didn't like the looks of this at all. She bent down so that she was eye level with the little redhead. "Hi Evie. My name is Samantha Katz. I'm with Alliance Social Services," she held out her hand.

Evie snorted a laugh out, "You're with A.S.S?" Mal nudged her but couldn't help but smirk.

Obviously that wasn't the first time Ms. Katz had heard that joke because she was nonplussed. She continued. "We're here to help you. We need to ask you some questions and then we need to give you a physical exam. Do you understand?

" Evie looked fearful. "Can the Cap'n come with me?" She asked. "He may be present with you for the initial part of your interview, but I'm sorry, the physical examination is overnight at our facility. Only juveniles and government employees allowed. But you'll see him first thing tomorrow morning, I promise," she said in a soft voice at Evie's increasing state of anxiety.

"You're not putting me into the system are you?" Evie pleaded at Mal and Mal felt his heartstrings tugging. Poor little thing has had so little in her young life to trust.

"No, darlin'. I told you, everything is going to be okay. You do exactly as these people say and you'll be back on Serenity in no time," he said. She hesitated and then went to hold his midriff tight. He hugged her back then picked her up. "Let's get this party started!"

* * *

"One of these days, Shepherd, you're gonna have to explain to me how you know so many people so high up in the government," said Mal, laughing as he clapped him on the shoulder. He was in a great mood, they didn't have to surrender any of their shares of the loot, he knew the girl was safe- not that he loved that she was in some purple belly institution but at least he knew they wouldn't knock her around none.

"I was a different man at the time, Captain," answered Book, also feeling jovial. He was glad that taking the pacifist, legal route worked out for them this time.

"We was all different in the past, doesn't make it any less part of our story," Mal reasoned and Book looked impressed by his musing.

"One last thing to take care of," Mal muttered, then hit the communications box. "Kaylee, your room, 10 minutes," he ordered. Book looked uncomfortable and took his leave. He paused. Maybe he shouldn't have let the whole ship hear that, but he reckoned a little humiliation would highlight this nicely.

* * *

He opened the hatch to climb down and saw Kaylee sitting glumly on her bed. "Poutin' already?" asked Mal, hand on his belt.

Kaylee tried not to look at it as she asked, "She alright?"

"Prolly be a bit of a Nervous Nelly for a while, but it's to be expected," he answered. Kaylee simply nodded. "You know I'm not mad at you anymore, right _mei-mei_?" She looked up at him and tears began to fill her eyes. Mal cursed inwardly. Her puppy dog tears always got the best of him. "I'm not mad. But you done wrong and I ain't seen to that yet. Wouldn't be fair if your actions didn't have consequences." Kaylee nodded, her eyes getting wetter by the second. It wasn't the first time the Cap'n had whupped her and her Daddy had done it plenty of times before that.

"Now you know what you done. Can't say that things would've been much better had you not run off and get all bent but they certainly didn't improve things. And when I give you responsibilities and orders, I expect them to be followed." Mal began to take off his belt and the sound made Kaylee cringe a little. He told her to get over the bed and she complied. He didn't take her pants down as a mercy since she was just flat out getting the belt.

He folded it over and cupped the buckle in his palm so that it couldn't do any damage. He swung back and Kaylee closed her eyes and her breath came out as a WHOOSH! as the first blow landed. The second blow came and she grit her teeth, trying to save some face. It'd been a long time since she'd felt a lickin' and she was having a hard time not crying out. Mal breathed deeply and brought the belt down three more times in rapid succession and Kaylee gripped the bed and squeaked.

He let her have a minute to catch her breath then brought it down three more times and tears began spilling out of her eyes. He steeled himself against them, remembering her actions that brought her into this position. Whack! Whack! Whack! Kaylee's lip started quivering and she sniffed loudly. Whack! Whack! Now she could barely hold down her sobs. Two more hard ones and she was sobbing openly. Another two right on her sit spot and now she was borderline howling.

Finally he finished with a flurry to punctuate his point. To her credit, she hadn't begged him to stop. Guess experience taught her how useless that would be.

He slowly pulled her up and into his arms, stroking her hair. _Oh, Kaylee, always so full of sunshine. What you got to make me make you cry for_? He thought as she turned the shoulder of his maroon shirt damp with salty tears. He shh'd her and told her it was over. She regained control of her emotions and smiled a wet smile at him. Only Kaylee would smile after a whupping. "Get yourself washed up, dinner should be soon."

* * *

The Alliance facility was so... regimental. Evie supposed the food wasn't all that bad and the people were nice enough when they weren't prodding and poking and taking pictures of her bruises. They'd given her a standard issue set of pajamas, toothbrush and other toiletries. She had to admit, the shower felt pretty good, but she didn't really mind being dirty either. There were other girls in this wing and other floors for other sections. She hoped the mental ward was far away from her. There was something called "The Academy" at the top floor one girl was talking about at dinner that sounded pretty badass.

She walked down the hall to the room that was assigned for her. They had sliding glass doors that locked automatically at 10pm- which was "lights out". They explained that the bed did all of the physical readings on her while she slept, but needed a certain amount of time to do it in. Hence the strictly enforced bedtime. Evie figured it was around 9:15, even though there was no clock around. She passed by a rec room were some people were playing games or reading or watching the Worldscreen and shook her head. It'd been a long day. She simply wanted to lay down.

_Psst!_ She heard from a dark corner at the end of the hall and turned. "Little dove!" called a voice and her blood chilled in spite of it being female. "Little dove, time to fly away," said a little voice and Evie started creeping closer to it. She saw her then, a teenaged girl with long dark hair and giant eyes, blending into the dark corner as if she had been birthed from it. She grabbed Evie's shoulders and she gasped. "You have to tell him!" she said desperately.

"Tell who?!" Evie whispered thinking _so much for the psych ward not being far from here_.

"Tell him, tell him "The river will flow to a more beautiful world"," said the girl, getting more distressed.

"Who am I telling this to? You're not making any sense!" said Evie, getting exasperated.

"My brother, you tell my brother. Don't forget! "The river will flow to a more beautiful world!" Suddenly an alarm went off somewhere and the girl looked around at the flashing lights and took off at a run. "Two weeks! Don't forget!" she called behind her.

Evie watched, startled, as men in uniform came from every which way and chased after the girl, tackling her to the ground and shooting something into her arm with a syringe that made her go to sleep. They then carried frail lithe body and put it on a gurney and wheeled her off.

Girl's began peeking out of their rooms and the girl who'd been talking to her at dinner walked up to her. "What in the _gui_ was that?" she asked.

"Guess someone escaped from the psych ward. Those doors to our rooms, they lock from the outside and the inside, yeah?" Evie asked, feeling chills run down her spine.

* * *

"_And are we going to tell them how many times Evie's been almost killed, maimed, kidnapped?" snapped Jayne. _

"_Sir, Jayne's right. Plus having Social Services involved in our lives might make a dent in our less than legal work," Zoe reasoned._

"_She may be 10 years old, but she's on my crew. She stays. We'll make do, dong ma?" Mal stated._

All of the tests went well, they only showed that she was underweight and Mal assured that he'd see to that. Her eye and other bumps and bruises were mostly healed do to supplements A.S.S. Had provided. Evie enjoyed being back on the ship so much that Mal barely heard a peep out of her. One last thing before they headed off Persephone and he didn't like any part of it.

He and the other crew members had to get interviewed to make sure that they were suitable guardians for Evie. Individually, they didn't seem like much good for the girl—especially Jayne. However, the way they functioned as a group lent to their cause. It also impressed them that there was a genius doctor, a Shepherd, and a registered Companion on board.

"I won't lie and say that I have my reservations about a 10 year old being reared on an transport ship, Captain Reynolds. But you do have a doctor on board which is a rarity. And Shepherd Book has sworn to keep up on her studies. And she seems to be thriving so much in the last few days. I say that our decision is clear. We grant you temporary custody of Evelyn Badgley for a period of 90 days," Samantha Katz stated, beaming.

Evie pumped her fist in the air and Mal barely contained a whoop. All of the others also talked excitedly, previous reservations aside. Even Zoe smiled softly.

Mal thanked Ms. Katz for everything and the whole crew made the walk back to the docks. Wash pushed Evie's shoulder playfully, "So you glad to be away from those purple bellies?"

"No joke, they have some loonies in there!" she scoffed.

"Oh yeah? You would've fit right in then," Mal teased and Evie kicked him in the rear. "What, can't be honest?" he said with a chuckle.

Evie shook her head and thought back to the other night. "There was this one girl, kept telling me to tell her brother something. "The river flows..."...something.

Simon stopped dead in his tracks and grabbed Evie's shoulders. "What did you say?"

"Whoa, Simon," cautioned Kaylee. "Your face is all white."

But Simon was ignoring everyone. "Tell me what you said!"

"This girl, before I went to sleep, she whispered at me. Told me to tell her brother something about 'the river flows'. She was totally freaking out. Pretty girl though," said Evie, considering.

"What did she look like?" asked Simon, barely containing his calm. Evie described the girl as best as she could, apologizing because it was dark.

"What in the _gui_ are you playin' at here, Doc," Mal asked, growing more and more concerned at Simon's apparent freak out.

"My sister... she wanted to go into the Military. My parents were devastated because she was so gifted and smart but she wanted to go. So they sent her to a military school. But... they said that there was an accident, two years ago, during training. They never found the body..." Simon trailed off and looked at the Captain. "Her name was 'River'".

Everyone seemed shocked by the relevation and it took a minute to settle in. "My sister looked exactly like you describe. You need to remember what she said!" Simon pleaded.

"Ok, ok, just give me a second," said the little girl, closing her eyes to recount that night.

"Simon, the chances of..." said the Shepherd but Simon shh'd him.

"Uhm... "The river will flow to... a... more beautiful world?" I think?" she answered.

Simon's gaze became far away as he thought. "Beautiful world... beautiful world... beau- Beaumonde! She's going to Beaumonde!" Evie nodded and then added the 'two weeks' part, getting caught up in his excitement.

Simon looked at the crew, eyes alight. "We have to go to Beaumonde!"

**I'll continue the story if people want me to, obviously going in a different direction than the show, but I'll get Mrs. Reynolds in there. I'm cutting this story off here, but the sequels will be forthcoming. Please review and tell me what you want to see!**


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